Peter Guralick’s biography of Elvis Presley the Last Train To Memphis has been stalled in development for over a decade, with heavyweights like Simon Fuller (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) and Stephen Bing (The Polar Express) trying to make it happen. It took Mick Jagger’s rock-and-roll influence and prestige to push it forward. Mick will produce the Elvis biopic with partner Victoria Pearman under their Jagged Edge banner.
John Fusco is adapting the script that will explore the ‘mystical faith’ Elvis had in his music. His lifelong passion, Presley pursued everything from soul, blues, and gospel to Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza. The pic will reveal Elvis’s intimate relationships and his compelling love for his family as he rose from a high school kid to an overnight phenom – opening the doors to a whole new era in music.
Mick Jagger is a natural fit for the King of Rock and Roll. Said Mick, “Elvis was a unique artist, an original.” Mick has been championing musical biopics lately. He is producing a James Brown biopic Get On Up, starring Chadwick Boseman, who starred as the legendary Jackie Robinson in 42. Mick is also working with Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter on a 1970’s music-biz drama fro HBO.
The website www.youngelviscasting.com has been launched by producers to search for the young Elvis. Actors can submit audition tapes of themselves singing six to eight bars of any Presley song.