King Elvis will finally have the right to his biopic. The challenge was taken up by filmmaker Baz Lurhmann who entrusted the young Austin Butler with the heavy task of embodying the idol of a whole generation. The feature film tells the trajectory of the King with regard to his mysterious relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The film therefore traces the meteoric rise of Elvis Presley and his status as a planetary star in a time of societal upheaval for America which deifies the singer.
Taking on the features of an icon like Elvis Presley required a lot of work from Austin Butler, a young American actor who shares the life of supermodel Kaia Gerber. In a recent interview given to GQ magazine, the actor told how hard the filming was for his health. “The day after the shooting, I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to the hospital“, he said. The young man was later diagnosed with a virus that simulates appendicitis and spent a week recovering, bedridden. This role left other traces on him since he confided that after the filming even his relatives did not recognize him.
After such a performance, Austin Butler came with the rest of the film crew to present the film on the Croisette for the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The world premiere was indeed held this Wednesday, May 25 and the feature film was screened out of competition. Austin Butler, who plays Elvis on screen, was of course present, accompanied by Tom Hanks, who took on the role of the rocker’s manager. Olivia DeJong, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and costume designer Catherine Martin also posed for the photographers. Priscilla Presley, the ex-wife of Elvis also made the trip to the Croisette to attend the preview screening.
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