From Bohemian Rhapsody to Rocketman, many of the world’s greatest singers have landed biopics that tell the stories of their stardom in a compelling fashion. It seems only fitting that the King of Rock & Roll himself Elvis Presley would be next for the flashy biopic treatment. Simply titled Elvis, the film was announced way back in 2014 to be directed by Baz Luhrmann, the man who brought the world Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, and in 2019, it was announced that "The Shannara Chronicles" star Austin Butler was cast in the lead role. Seven years later after its initial announcement, the wait is finally over. The recently-dropped trailer gives us our first look at Butler as Elvis as well as Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager. In addition to Butler and Hanks, the movie also stars Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley.  According to Warner Bros., the movie 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.” To tell the story of not only one of the most iconic singers in the world but also of the 1950s takes an extreme amount of dedication in order to please fans — luckily, the Elvis team is up for the challenge. Luhrmann has already told fans that the film will cover 3 stages of Elvis’s life. 

Butler was chosen for the role after an extremely publicized search in 2019 and has played a few high-profile roles in films such as Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood as well as The Dead Don’t Die before landing the part. One of the aspects of Butler that set him apart from other candidates was his love of music; he plays the piano, violin, and, most importantly in this case, the guitar. In an interview with Interview magazine back in 2019, he described the guitar as his “first love”, commenting that he would play for eight hours a day.

Although Butler is adept with the guitar, preparing for the role took months of practice. A year before the shoot even started, Butler started undergoing voice coaching to replicate Elvis’s unique singing abilities. This was crucial, as Luhrmann intended to have Butler’s voice mainly feature for young Elvis while blending the real legend and Butler’s tapes together for the singing of midlife Elvis. Butler also watched and studied Presely’s films and concerts and, during a virtual press conference, told fans that “I feel such a responsibility to Elvis and to [ex-wife] Priscilla and [daughter] Lisa Marie, and all the people around the world who love him so much.”

Alongside Butler, Tom Hanks also stars as Elvis’s manager, playing a quasi-antagonistic role as the Colonel was known for being a controlling manager. Although Hanks is a seasoned actor, he ran into trouble during filming after contracting the Coronavirus, which delayed filming. In an interview with The Guardian, Hanks told reporters that “I couldn’t concentrate on anything for more than about 12 minutes. That last bit is kinda like my natural state anyway.” 

After a few bumps in the road, the movie is slated for a theatrical release on June 24th. In the meanwhile, take a look at the trailer and get ready to see Elvis be brought back to life!