Long live the King.
Young star
Austin Butler has been hand-picked by
Baz Luhrmann to portray
Elvis Presley in the Australian director’s upcoming biopic, after blokes like
Harry Styles and Miles Teller were shortlisted for the role.
Deadline reports Butler, 27, will portray the rock and roll pioneer alongside Tom Hanks, who is slated to appear as Presley’s longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker. Not a bad gig, tbh.
Butler has recently won plaudits for his stint in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and is also set to pop up in Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
His TV oeuvre is also pretty solid: old mate featured extensively in The Carrie Diaries, and if you cast your mind back a little further, you may even recognise him from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.
That repertoire, along with his all-around vibe, was enough for Luhrmann to say yes.
“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,” Luhrmann told Deadline, adding that Butler is someone “who could embody the spirit” of the fella himself.
The unnamed flick, which will be shot in Queensland, will begin production next year.