Australian director Baz Luhrmann will be making a new film for Warner Bros about the iconic Elvis Presley and his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Tom Hanks has already been announced to play Presley’s manager and now joining him is Austin Butler who’ll be taking on the role of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself. Butler was among many actors who came to audition in numerous screen tests last June.
Photo by Pete Summers/REX/Shutterstock (9111631v)
Luhrmann stated, “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.”
Prior to this, Luhrmann had already heard about Butler’s impressive performance with Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway. Butler eventually came out on top and won the coveted role after “a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops”.
via broadway.com
Butler is a 27-year-old American actor and singer who started out in Nickelodeon and Disney TV. He soon landed recurring roles in other series like Switched at Birth, Sex and the City’s prequel series The Carrie Diaries and Arrow. Most recently, he made his Broadway debut as Don Paritt in The Iceman Cometh where he received much praise for his performance.
Luhrmann co-wrote the script with Craig Pearce. This biopic will be Luhrmann’s first film since 2013’s The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio. His most recent work is Netflix’s The Get Down.
Filming for the untitled Elvis movie will begin in 2020 to accommodate Hanks as he’s shooting for the upcoming Paul Greengrass movie, News of the World, in the fall.
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