Fans of the King of Rock and Roll have reason to get excited. Warner Bros. has dropped the first trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Austin Butler is not just portraying the legendary Elvis Presley but is also singing in the role. Luhrmann describes the late Presley’s life as a “great canvas to explore America,” and his film tells the story of Presley’s life in three sections. The film has taken two years to make due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tom Hanks, who was among the earliest notable figures to catch Covid-19, is portraying Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film.
Parker narrates the opening lines of the trailer, saying, “There are some who make me out to be the villain of this here story.” The film will focus heavily on the dynamic between Presley and Parker. Polygon says this relationship spanned more than 20 years from when Parker first discovered Presley and helped him skyrocket to success to Presley’s disillusionment with a changing culture to his tragic death at age 42.
Austin Butler, age 30, put extreme effort into portraying the iconic singer, watching and studying several of Presley’s films and concerts over and over, and spending a year with a vocal coach to get his voice identical to Presley’s. “I feel such a responsibility to Elvis and to Priscilla and Lisa Marie, and all the people around the world who love him so much,” Butler said. Priscilla and Lisa Marie are Presley’s ex-wife and daughter, respectively.
One of the most anticipated films of the year, Elvis is directed by Baz Luhrmann, who is known for directing flashy and glitzy films such as Romeo + Juliet (1998), Moulin Rouge! (2001), and The Great Gatsby (2013). His glitzy style is quite evident in the trailer for Elvis, which will be released in theaters on June 24, 2022.
What do you think of this trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic? Are you excited to see an Elvis Presley biopic? Share your thoughts at The Nerd Stash Facebook page and @TheNerdStash on Twitter, and don’t forget to like and follow.
