After an extensive testing process, director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) has found his Elvis Presley for his upcoming biographical drama based upon the King and his manager Colonel Tom Parker.
Joining Tom Hanks’ Parker in the as-yet-untitled film will be The Dead Don’t Die and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor Austin Butler, who has secured the role of Elvis ahead of competition from Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver), Miles Teller (Whiplash) and Harry Styles (Dunkirk).
“I knew I couldn’t make this film if the casting wasn’t absolutely right, and we searched thoroughly for an actor with the ability to evoke the singular natural movement and vocal qualities of this peerless star, but also the inner vulnerability of the artist,” said Luhrmann.
“Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent,” he continued. “I had heard about Austin Butler from his stand-out role opposite Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”
Filming on the project is slated to get underway in early 2020.
