Austin Butler cast as Elvis opposite Tom Hanks in Baz Luhrmann's biopic

May 2024 · 2 minute read

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He is the young man who would be King.

Austin Butler has been cast to play Elvis Presley in the upcoming biopic from writer-director Baz Luhrmann.

After a series of screen tests, the 27-year-old actor beat out a host of Hollywood heartthrobs, including Harry Styles, Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller.

“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,” Luhrmann said in a statement to Variety.

Butler will star opposite Tom Hanks as the legendary singer’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who infamously dictated every aspect of Presley’s life.

While the masses might know Butler from his teeny-bopper TV roles in “Switched at Birth” and “Zoey 101,” Luhrmann first spotted him on the Broadway stage.

“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 still-untitled film — co-scripted by Craig Pearce — is set to film early next year in Queensland, Australia, Deadline reported. The film will detail “Presley’s elevation to a level of stardom and celebrity matched only by The Beatles, set against an evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.”

Butler will be seen next as Mason family member Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which hits screens July 26.

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