The trailer for Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s highly-anticipated Elvis Presley biopic has been released – and fans were left with goosebumps over the ‘coming soon’ film.
The full trailer for Elvis was released by Warner Bros. on February 17, giving Australia its first look at Baz Luhrmann’s unique theatrical interpretation of the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s’ iconic life and legacy. The Australian director wrote the screenplay alongside Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner.
Set to hit theatres on June 24, 2022, the intriguing new film will broadcast a cast of first-class actors including Austin Butler as Elvis, Tom Hanks as his infamous manager Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla.
The trailer opens with scenes of Elvis’s poverty-stricken lifestyle as a young boy and shows how he first discovered his thriving love for music. The scenes switch between past and present, telling the empowering tale of who he was, and who he became – the world’s most iconic rock ‘n’ roll star – before his ultimate downfall. The voiceover of Elvis’s infamous manager tells the story, describing Elvis as his “destiny”.
Other starring actors include Yola Quartey, Luke Bracey, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Dacre Montgomery, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh and David Wenham.
In a statement from Luhrmann to Deadline, the director explained the extensive process it took to find the right actor to play Elvis.
“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,” Luhrmann said.
Upon casting Butler for the role, Luhrmann was confident in his ability to portray the iconic late ‘King of Rock’.
“I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”
According to Vogue, “Luhrmann will reportedly use the ‘Shake, Rattle & Roll’ singer’s career to trace the ‘evolving cultural landscape’ and the ‘loss of innocence’ in America over the course of his 21 years in the spotlight, with cameos from plenty of other musicians, including B. B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Little Richard (Alton Mason).”
The film is also set to embody an impressive wardrobe of high-class clothes and accessories, mimicking Elvis Presley’s expensive taste upon becoming a musical success. The late King had been born into a life of poverty and is said to have used his clothes as a representative of the success he’d achieved.
The biopic will be distributed to Australian theatres on June 24, 2022, by Roadshow Films.