Film & TV

Baz Luhrmann raves about his Elvis, Austin Butler

Butler beat out Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Harry Styles — who all did screen tests for Luhrmann, for the coveted role.

Warner Bros. Pictures announced recently that, after an extensive search, Baz Luhrmann has cast Austin Butler as Elvis Aaron Presley in the director’s upcoming film about the seminal legend.  The announcement was made today by Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Luhrmann stated, “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.  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.”

According to Deadline, Butler beat out Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Harry Styles — who all did screen tests for Luhrmann, for the coveted role.

Butler made his Broadway debut in 2018 opposite Washington in Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh,” under the direction of George C. Wolfe, and received rave reviews for his work in the role of “lost boy” Don Parritt.  He will be seen later this month opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.”  Butler, who also has extensive television credits, can currently be seen on the big screen alongside Bill Murray and Adam Driver in Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die.”

Principal photography will begin early next year, with filming taking place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program.  The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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