The Upcoming Elvis Biopic Has Cast Its Main Man

From Oprah Magazine

• Elvis Presley is the next musician getting the biopic treatment.

• The film, set to start filming in early 2020, recently cast Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's Austin Butler as Elvis.

• Here’s everything we know so far.

It seems like every beloved singer is getting the Hollywood treatment, with Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, and the upcoming Judy Garland biopic, so it should be no surprise that next on the docket is Elvis. He'll be brought to the big screen in a film from Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann, and after a massive casting search, we finally have our Elvis in Austin Butler. Here’s everything else we know about the untitled movie so far.

Who is cast as Elvis Presley?

As we mentioned, 27-year-old Austin Butler was the final pick to play Elvis after a massive search that included major stars like Harry Styles, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Aaron Taylor-Johnson—even rapper G-Eazy tested for the role. Luhrmann gave a statement to Variety about Butler’s casting: “I had heard about Austin Butler from his stand-out role opposite Denzel Washington in ‘The Iceman Cometh’ on Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”

What's Austin Butler been in?

Butler’s career started with two roles on Hannah Montana in 2006 and 2007. He has appeared in shows like Switched at Birth, Ruby & The Rockits, The Carrie Diaries, and The Shannara Chronicles. He’s also been in The Intruder and Yoga Hosers, and is having a massive 2019, with roles in Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die and Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Wait, isn't he dating Vanessa Hudgens?

Yes, for the past eight years. And the 30-year-old Second Act star is so excited, she took to Instagram to celebrate:

I heard Tom Hanks was in the movie...

Yes! The Elvis movie is pulling in the big names. Hanks will star alongside Butler as Colonel Tom Parker, the man credited with discovering Elvis as his manager and launching him to stardom. The film will focus on the very close relationship between Parker and Presley. Parker was reportedly in control over every move Presley made, including refusing to allow him to tour internationally, and allegedly taking 50% of Presley’s earnings.

What’s the movie about?

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the movie focuses on the relationship between the manager and the musician, who started from nothing and became one of the most iconic stars of his generation.

Tell us more about Baz Luhrmann.

The film will be directed by legendary director Baz Luhrmann, who is known for Moulin Rouge! and the 1996 Romeo + Juliet. This is his first film since the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby, and he is also producing alongside his wife and collaborator, Catherine Martin, with whom he has been developing the Presley project for six years. Luhrmann also co-wrote the film with Craig Pearce, his collaborator on Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby.

When’s the movie coming out?

Details about the release are still to come, but according to Variety, the film is set to begin shooting at the beginning of 2020.

Is there a trailer?

It hasn’t even started shooting yet, so no, but check back, it’ll be worth it.

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