Baz Luhrmann Has Chosen Austin Butler as Elvis Presley — But Can He Sing Like the King of Rock and Roll?
Updated April 27 2020, 11:14 a.m. ET
Director Baz Luhrmann has officially checked in the Heartbreak Hotel, casting actor Austin Butler as the famous Elvis Presley in his untitled drama surrounding Elvis’s rise to fame.
The movie follows the relationship between Elvis and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who’s played by the one and only Tom Hanks. What a casting win!
It was reported that late-Elvis’s doppelgänger choices included musician Harry Styles, Ansel Elgort, and Miles Teller, but after a variety of screen tests, Austin, 27, was just the man for the part. In all actuality, Austin definitely resembles the king of Rock and Roll with his edgy, teenage-dream look.
In the end, Baz was on the hunt for the perfect person and couldn’t go forward with the movie until he got his Elvis.
In a statement to Deadline, Baz Luhrmann said, “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.”
He continued, “Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent… I knew unequivocally that I found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”
However, who really is Austin Butler?
If you’re a millennial, you may have seen him on a variety of shows like Zoey 101, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, or the Sex and the City prequel, The Carrie Diaries. The actor has also been romantically dating actress and singer, Vanessa Hudgens.
No, she couldn’t stay with Troy Bolton forever and yes, they look pretty darn cute together! As the news was brought to light, Austin’s long-term girlfriend couldn’t help but congratulate her boo on Instagram saying, “I CANT WAIT SO PROUD OF MY HONEYYYYY!!!”
But can Austin even sing?
Though the rising star has the bad boy, Elvis-esque look down packed, the biggest question is whether Austin can hold down the house vocally. The answer is yes.
Austin has been singing on television for a while now. In an episode of Are You There, Chelsea?, Austin is seen not only singing but playing guitar as well. It’s safe to say, he is musically talented after all.
Elvis fans may need some warming up to this new casting decision.
Though this choice seems to be just what Baz Luhrmann had envisioned, fans were skeptical about his choice. Fans took it to twitter to express their feelings about the casting decision. One fan by the username of @vintagenyx said, “Honestly, if anyone, I would’ve thought Harry but I’ll need to see a pic of Austin as Elvis before I make my final judgment.
The biopic is set to start shooting with Warner Bros. in early 2020 in Queensland, Australia. This means fans will have to stay tuned to see whether Austin does the late Elvis Presley the justice he deserves.
