Elvis Presley has a complicated legacy to say the least. From the cultural appropriation, dating a 14 year-old and later marrying her was 21, all the way to his bloated Vegas years. Doing a film about Elvis is an ambitious project, one that director Baz Luhrmann is trying to capture in the new biopic ELVIS. Elvis is a hard person to pin down, because his rise to stardom is more than myth at this point. Stories of him flying across the country to try a sandwich, nearly being shot by Alice Cooper, and becoming a legitimate law enforcement officer appointed by Richard Nixon.
This second trailer confirms that most of the spotlight is being taken up by the icon’s early days. Newcomer Austin Butler does a tremendous impression of The King, who is notoriously hard to capture in a serious light. The film focuses on his life through his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. The story follows their relationship over their 20 years together. Central to the journey is his wife Priscilla, played by Olivia DeJonge. With Luhrmann’s slick style and wicked filmmaking, the film seems to be the perfect mix of subject and artist. All will be revealed when the film comes into theaters on June 24.