The movie, which also stars Tom Hanks, hits Philippine cinemas in June.
Warner Bros. Pictures has just unveiled the first trailer of “Elvis,” the new movie event from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. The biopic, which stars Austin Butler in the titular role is set to his Philippine cinemas June 22.
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The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Describing to MovieMaker.com that his Elvis was “punk, strange, and free of nostalgia,” Luhrmann shared that their challenge was to “translate strange and shocking to a contemporary audience? Austin’s number one mission, from the moment I met him, was to humanize Elvis Presley—was to show the person on the journey.”
Starring alongside Hanks and Butler are theatre actress Helen Thomson plays Elvis’s mother Gladys; Richard Roxburgh portrays Elvis’s father Vernon, and DeJonge plays Priscilla. Luke Bracey plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Also in the cast: Dacre plays TV director Steve Binder, Leon Ford as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany) as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds as Billy Smith, Josh McConville as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn as Bill Black.
To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard; Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
Luhrmann directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar winner Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.
Principal photography on “Elvis” took place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program.
