Moulin Rouge!andRomeo + JulietfilmmakerBaz Luhrmannis on the hunt for hisElvis Presley, and some mighty interesting names are surfacing as potential candidates to play The King of Rock and Roll. The currently untitled biopic will focus on the legendary music icon’s rise and zenith, putting a particular emphasis on his relationship with manager Col. Tom Parker, who will be played byTom Hanks.
PerTHR, Luhrmann and Warner Bros. have tested five actors to fill the role of Presley, all of whom are established stars. This includesAnsel Elgort, who shined bright inBaby Driverand is currently shootingSteven Spielberg’s musicalWest Side Storyin the lead role; talented performerMiles Teller, who is coming off of filmingTop Gun: Maverickin the role of Goose’s son and who at one point almost had theRyan Goslingrole inLa La Land; dynamic performerAaron Taylor-Johnson, who’s currently in productionChristopher Nolan’s new filmTenetand who showed off his musical talents as a young John Lennon inNowhere Boy; musician andThe Shannara ChroniclesstarAustin Butler; and finallyOne DirectionfrontmanHarry Styles, who made his impressive acting debut inDunkirk.
The lead role is expected to be filled in the coming weeks, and while Luhrmann has been developing this movie for a while (we first reported his involvementin 2014!), there’s no doubt a new sense of urgency on the part of Warner Bros. due to the success of recent “famous musician biopics” likeBohemian RhapsodyandRocketman.
Luhrmann is certainly an ambitious filmmaker, if not exactly a prolific one. After bursting onto the scene withStrictly Ballroom,Romeo + Juliet, and his Best Picture-nomintedMoulin Rouge!, Luhrmann took a long break before trying his hand at the epic genre with the disappointingAustralia. Five years later he returned with a dynamic, bombastic take onThe Great Gatsby(which is actually quite good!), and most recently he’s been entrenched on the expensive, music-centric Netflix seriesThe Get Down, which was cancelled after one season and suffered some production delays.
But as someone who’s always interested in whatever Luhrmann’s up to, I’m intrigued by the notion of him taking on The King. At the very least we know this won’t be a simple by-the-numbers biopic that skirts over anything that could be deemed controversial (see:Bohemian Rhapsody).
Expect more news on this front soon, but one imagines really any of these five aforementioned actors could do well in the Presley role. Though I’m personally most intrigued by what Taylor-Johnson could bring to the table here…
