Elvis Presley is a name known to most for being the hip-swivelling, baritone singer who caused a frenzy among fans during his lifetime. Many biopics have been made on his life, whether it is a miniseries or movie. A new biopic is coming out from Australian director Baz Luhrmann, but who is starring in the film?
Who is in the cast of Elvis?
The star of the new Elvis biopic, playing The King himself, is Austin Butler, a 28-year-old actor born and raised in California.
The performer was scouted as a child, after he was spotted at the Orange County Fair as a 13-year-old.
From there, he went on to have a career on the small screen in children’s and teen TV shows such as Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, iCarly, Hannah Montana and Zoey 101.
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On the big screen, Austin has been seen in some major movies, such as Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, where he played real life criminal Tex Watson.
As well as that, he appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die alongside Oscar nominees Bill Murray and Adam Driver.
Baz spoke about casting Austin in 2019, saying: “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.”
A huge part of the biopic includes Elvis’ relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, as has been made clear by the choice of actor for this role.
Oscar winner Tom Hanks has been hired for this, meaning the role will likely be a large one due to the megawattage of the actor.
As well as this, Elvis’ wife Priscilla will also feature in the movie, played by Olivia DeJonge.
Priscilla met Elvis in Germany when he was stationed there as part of his military service, and Priscilla was just 14-years-old.
She ended up moving with him to his home at Graceland and becoming his only wife, and the mother of his only child, Lisa Marie Presley.
They divorced only a few years before Elvis’ death, though it is unclear whether this story will cover that much of The King’s life.
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Since the announcement of the project, there have been some significant changes in the cast, as originally Hollywood stars Rufus Sewell and Maggie Gyllenhaal were cast to play Elvis’ parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley.
However, Australian stars have taken their places in the ensemble, with Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh playing the Presley parents.
As well as them, singer Yola plays singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, while Kelvin Harrison Jr plays B.B. King and Luke Bracey plays Jerry Schilling, a member of the Memphis Mafia, in the new movie.
Dacre Montgomery plays Steve Binder, an American producer and director, while David Wenham is playing country music artist Hank Snow.
The film is currently slated for release in November 2021, and as it is being released via Warner Bros it may be released on HBO Max, the USA streaming service.
