The best Elvis Presley movie is, and will always be, the Jack White scenes in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. But Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis looks good, too.
The biopic is centered around the relationship between Presley (played by Austin Butler) and his long-time manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), who helped turn Elvis: the musician into ELVIS: the brand. “In that moment, I watched that skinny boy transform into a superhero,” Colonel Tom says while Presley performs “Heartbreak Hotel” in front of a screaming audience that’s losing its mind from hormones (Luhrmann does not shy away from highlighting a certain part of the body). “He was my destiny.”
You can watch the trailer above. Here’s the official plot description:
The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Elvis — which also stars Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Alton Mason as Little Richard, Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton — opens in theaters on June 24.