Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Helen Thomson also stars plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys; Richard Roxburgh portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon; Luke Bracey plays Jerry Schilling; Natasha Bassett plays Dixie Locke; David Wenham plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Leon Ford as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds as Billy Smith, Josh McConville as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn as Bill Black.
To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
Luhrmann directed from a screenplay he wrote with Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, with story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.
The behind-the-scenes team include director of photography Mandy Walker, production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin, production designer Karen Murphy, editors Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond, visual effects supervisor Thomas Wood, music supervisor Anton Monsted and composer Elliott Wheeler.
Principal photography on Elvis took place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program.
A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Bazmark Production, A Jackal Group Production, A Baz Luhrmann Film, Elvis will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in Australian cinemas on June 23.