Tom Hanks, Austin Butler Cast in Baz Luhrmann’s New Elvis Movie
Two key roles in Baz Luhrmann's forthcoming film about Elvis Presley's rise to global stardom have been cast. Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks will play Col. Tom Parker, a business partner of country stars Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow who also guided Presley's career.
Additionally, television star-turned-Broadway actor Austin Butler will play the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself in the still-unnamed film, which is slated for filming next year in Queensland, Australia. Warner Bros. will handle worldwide distribution.
“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,” Luhrmann says in a statement to Deadline. “Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent. 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.”
Per Deadline, Butler earned the role of Presley over the likes of Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Harry Styles. The young Elvis look-alike's big-screen talents can be seen this summer alongside Sturgill Simpson in The Dead Don't Die, and in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Luhrmann, who will direct this new movie, wrote its screenplay with Craig Pearce. Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss will produce, and Andrew Mittman will executive produce. Martin will also be the film's production and costume designer.
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