It's official!
Austin Butler has been cast Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s untitled biopic.
Luhrmann plans to "explore the life and music of Elvis through his complicated relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker." Parker will be played by Tom Hanks.
“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,” Luhrmann said in a statement.
“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.”
Austin Butler's next role is in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, which hits theaters next weekend.
(via The Wrap)