As one might imagine, getting the chance to play a rock ‘n roll legend like Elvis Presley brings a lot of competition. For his upcoming Elvis biopic, Baz Luhrmann went through numerous contenders for the role, including Ansel Elgort, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and even Harry Styles, who would seemingly have a leg up on the others. But in the end, it was Austin Butler who won Luhrmann over, and now’s our first chance to see him in action.
Butler, jumping from a small role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, stars as Elvis Presley, who we see from his military career to becoming a rock and pop music superstar and cultural icon. The film also focuses on his relationship with his manager, Col. Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. And as you might expect, it wasn’t all roses and blue suede shoes.
Also in the cast are The Power of the Dog Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee, Olivia DeJonge, Yola Quartey, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and David Wenham.
Luhrmann directed and co-wrote the script, making this his first movie since 2013’s The Great Gatsby. He spent a little bit of time after that working on Netflix’s The Get Down, but this feels like a proper return for him.
Elvis opens in theaters on June 24th.
