Elvis lives! Back for the King as Austin Butler steps into his shoes in a new biopic alongside Tom Hanks as his manager, Colonel Tom Parker
Dressed head to toe in tight black leather and slicked back dyed black hair, here is the king of rock and roll.
Then look twice and you’ll realize this isn’t the real Elvis Presley in his famous 1968 TV special, but an eerie recreation for a new biopic of the tragic singer.
This is the first look at actor Austin Butler as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated film telling the story through the star’s complicated relationship with manager Col. Tom Parker, played by star Tom Hanks.
Clad head to toe in tight black leather and with slicked back dyed black hair, here is the king of rock and roll. Then look twice and you’ll realize this isn’t the real Elvis Presley in his famous 1968 TV special, but an eerie recreation for a new biopic of the tragic singer.
A three-minute teaser released last night shows his Presley’s progress from shy, skinny blond boy to swaying performances that set the world on fire.
As the wily Colonel Parker, Hanks is seen telling him, “I wish to promote you, Mr. Presley.” Are you ready to fly?
The story is set against the backdrop of political unrest in the United States and the murders of President John F Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. After a slow decline in the 1970s, Presley died of heart failure. heart attack at only 42 years old in 1977.
Butler, 30, who sings such hits as That’s All Right Mama, Jailhouse Rock and Unchained Melody, said he felt an “incredible responsibility” playing Presley.
Kingmaker: The real Colonel Tom Parker, left, and Tom Hanks in the movie
All White at Night: Baz Luhrmann’s Film Recreates the Dazzling Climax of Elvis’ ‘Comeback Special’, Shot in Real Life
Shocking pink: Butler, right, recreates one of Presley’s electrifying performances (left)
“Those are huge shoes to fill,” he added. “At first I thought, ‘That’s impossible. How could I feel anything but am less than this superhuman individual?
“Over time, I felt like I was more into it. I tried hard to make my voice sound the same as his.
Production on the film, slated to hit theaters on June 6, had to be halted during the pandemic.
Hanks tested positive for Covid-19 in March 2020, becoming one of the first celebrities to go public with a diagnosis.
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