For years, filmmakers have been trying to capture the King of Pop’s life and road to fame. From Elvis in 1979 to Elvis in 2005, most of the films have been small and low-budget, until now. The newest addition to the documentaries, films, and series on Presley is Elvis. The trailer for the new biopic was released on Feb. 17. 

In this new Elvis Presley biopic, Austin Butler, who you may recognize from The Carrie Diaries, will play Presley. Olivia DeJonge will play his iconic wife, Priscilla Presley. The cast list even includes stars like Maggie Gyllenhaal as Gladys Presley, and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Presley’s manager. 

“I’m excited to see how good or bad Austin Butler’s Elvis is,” said Alex Rauda, a junior at Arcadia High School.

Baz Luhrmann, the award-winning Australian director is working on the film. It will be his first project since his 2013 movie, The Great Gatsby. Not only is he a great director, but also a Presley fan. 

“I was an Elvis fan, but I don’t know that fan-hood was in any way the reason I wanted to do Elvis,” said Luhrmann in a press event. “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 Colonel Tom Parker.” 

The film will show audiences Presley’s rise to fame, his marriage to Priscilla Presley, and many other famous elements of his career. Warner Bros said that the film will focus on Presley and Parker’s complex relationship.

“It 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,” said Warner Bros. 

 Presley’s inspirations, Little Richard; Alton Mason, B.B King; Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Yola, are said to also be featured in the film. 

Since Presley is such an enormous pop culture icon, the cast and crew of this film have their work cut out for them, especially Butler. In order to play Presley, he had to sing. In a press conference, Butler said he was in “intensive vocal coaching for ‘six to seven days a week’ for months.” 

Hopefully, the cast and crew’s hard work will pay off when the film is released to theaters his summer, on Jun. 24. After its 45-day theatrical release, HBO Max subscribers will be able to stream the film from home. 

Photo courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS