Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) will play Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s currently untitled project for Warner Bros., TheWrap has confirmed.
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,” said Luhrmann.
The currently untitled Elvis biopic will be co-written by Luhrmann, who will direct, and BAFTA winner Craig Pearce (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!).
Butler beat out Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver), Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick), and Harry Styles (Dunkirk), who were all in contention for the lead role in the Elvis biopic.