According to HBO Max, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis will finally air on television in September. Along with Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh, who plays Elvis’s parents, Austin Butler plays the legendary rock and roll singer, Tom Hanks plays his mysterious manager Colonel Tom Parker, and Olivia DeJonge plays Priscilla Presley.
The movie was a critical and financial triumph upon its debut earlier this year, surpassing Rami Malik’s 2018 Bohemian Rhapsody to become the second highest-grossing musical biopic at the global box office with $271.5 million against its $85 million budget. Butler sang some of Elvis Presley’s classics in the movie and received a 12-minute standing ovation for it at the international premiere of the movie at the Cannes Film Festival.
A look inside the life of one of the 20th century’s most influential cultural leaders is provided by the film. Told from the perspective of his manager Parker, who is shown in the film as being on his deathbed and thinking back to the day he first met the future king of rock and roll. Elvis’ climb to extraordinary success as well as some of his lowest points are depicted in the film, which spans their complicated relationship over two decades. Luhrmann expertly portrays his ascent to stardom against the backdrop of America’s changing cultural environment and loss of innocence. Along with an appreciation for the actors’ performances, the film has also received accolades for its period-appropriate production design. The film displays a lot of glitter and glitz, which were a characteristic of the late singer who was known for his wild, campy performances, keeping with the director’s preference for stylized aesthetics.
Luhrmann produced the film along with Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, Catherine Martin, and Schuyler Weiss. He co-wrote the script with Jeremy Doner. HBO Max premieres Elvis on September 2.
