The first official trailer for the Elvis biopic, simply titled Elvis, from director Baz Luhrmann has been released, showing audiences their first look at Austin Butler in the titular role of the iconic musician. Tom Hanks stars opposite Butler as Colonel Tom Parker, Presley’s manager, and is the supposed antagonist of the film.
The film’s production has been stretched across two full years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and even resulted in Hanks contracting the virus on set in early 2020. The film was originally set for a 2021 release until it was pushed back to 2022 early last year.
Luhrmann and Butler have recently revealed some details on the biopic, including that the film will be split into three sections, depicting three different parts of the late musician’s life. THR cites Luhrmann stating that Elvis’ life is a “great canvas to explore America.”
Butler had opened up about the immense pressure of playing such an iconic public figure, saying, “When I began the process, I set out to get my voice to be identical. That instills fear. So that got the fire burning,” Butler said. “For a year before we started shooting, I was doing voice coaching.” (THR). From the trailer alone, it seems Butler has nailed both the voice and the look.
Elvis opens exclusively in theaters on June 24. Watch the trailer below: