Austin Butler 'beats Harry Styles' to play Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann biopic
The actor announced the news alongside lyrics to Elvis song Love Me Tender: "You have made my life complete, and I love you so."
Tuesday 16 July 2019 11:17, UK
Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic has found its King - and it's sad news for One Direction fans as it's not Harry Styles.
While Styles, along with Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller, had been rumoured to be in the running for the role, it has now been confirmed that it will be played by the relatively unknown actor Austin Butler.
The 27-year-old posted a picture of a Deadline article confirming the announcement on his Instagram page, alongside the lyrics from Presley song Love Me Tender: "You have made my life complete, and I love you so."
Luhrmann said it had been a competitive casting contest.
In a statement, the director said that 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".
Butler appeared last year in the Denzel Washington Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh, and also has a role in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood, starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie.
Production on the as yet untitled Elvis Presley project is due to begin early next year, with Tom Hanks also confirmed to co-star as Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker.
Butler's girlfriend, High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens, also posted the announcement on Instagram, saying: "I AMMMM OVERRRR THE F* MOOOOOOOOONNNNN. I CANT WAIT… SO PROUD OF MY HONEYYYYY!!!"
Other stars responded to Butler's post to congratulate him, with fellow High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale saying: "You're whole life is about to change." (sic)
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Into The Wild actor Emile Hirsch posted: "Congratulations buddy!"