Austin Butler (‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ ‘The Dead Don’t Die’) has been tapped to play Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic of the legendary musician, Deadline has learned.
The film will shoot early next year in Queensland, Australia, and will trace Presley’s elevation to a level of stardom and celebrity matched only by The Beatles, set against an evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.
Butler will star opposite Tom Hanks, who signed on earlier this year to portray Presley’s long-time manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Luhrmann will direct from the current screenplay he wrote with Craig Pearce. The ‘Romeo & Juliet and ‘Great Gatsby’ filmmaker will also produce, alongside Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss