Austin Butler stars as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis alongside Tom Hanks as the King’s manager, Col. Tom Parker.
“[Elvis is] such an icon and held to superhuman status,” Butler said of being able to play the legendary rockstar in the new flick. “To get to explore that for years and learn why he was the way that he was, it was such a joy that I could do that for the rest of my life probably.”
The first official trailer for the film was just revealed yesterday, which is slated to be released on June 24th.
“I was an Elvis fan but I don’t know that that fan-hood was in any way the reason I wanted to do Elvis,” the filmmaker said of his inspiration. “But the truth is that in this modern era the life of Elvis couldn’t be a better canvas to explore America in the 50s and 60s. That’s what drew me in, that and a guy named Col. Tom Parker.”
The film also stars Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley and will “delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America.”
Watch the trailer below.
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Photo credit: christopher krohn / Shutterstock.com