Earlier this month, news broke that director Baz Luhrmann was narrowing down the possibilities for actors to play a young Elvis Presley in the new biopic he's planned. Fast forward to today, and the choice has been made: Austin Butler is the King.
Butler has triumphed over the likes of Ansel Elgort, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harry Styles and Miles Teller for the role, which would see him joining Tom Hanks, who is playing Presley manager Colonel Tom Parker in the film.
Luhrmann, who wrote the script with regular collaborator Craig Pearce, has conducted extensive tests with the winnowed-down list, and seems happy with his choice. "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," he says in a statement. "Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent. 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."
The director will aim to start shooting the movie early next year, which gives Butler plenty of time to start honing his hip-swiveling and to find the perfect pair of blue suede shoes.