The late Elvis Presley was such an iconic performer that we don’t even have to refer to him by his full name. Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll, and now he’s getting a lavish biopic from director Baz Luhrmann. Warner Bros. has debuted the first trailer from Elvis, with Austin Butler in the title role. And according to the studio, Butler is actually singing in the trailer with his best approximation of Elvis’ famous voice.
The trailer also appears to take place from the point of view of Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Finch‘s Tom Hanks will portray Parker in the film, and he narrates a few scenes in the trailer while watching Elvis perform for the first time before deciding to make sure that their destinies are intertwined.
A good deal of time is spent with Elvis’ younger years in the trailer, including his romance with Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge). It also shows flashbacks that reveal how young Elvis’ sound and gyrations were inspired by Black religious celebrations. There are even glimpses of Austin as the older Elvis in decline from the late ’60s and into the ’70s. But the King still had one major comeback up his very long sleeves.
Helen Thomson co-stars as Elvis’s mother, Gladys, with Richard Roxburgh as Elvis’s father, Vernon. Luke Bracey will play Jerry Schilling, with Natasha Bassett as Dixie Locke, David Wenham as Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B.B. King, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Luhrmann directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner. Warner Bros. will release Elvis exclusively in theaters on June 24.
