Following a period of casting speculation that saw names as varied as Harry Styles, G-Eazy, and Miles Teller being sprinkled across headlines, Baz Luhrmann and company have announced their choice for the role of Elvis Presley in the forthcoming Tom Hanks-assisted biopic.
With a simple side-by-side tweeted photo comparison, Luhrmann announced Monday afternoon that Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) has been given the role in the still-untitled Warner Bros. production.
Vanessa Hudgens promptly informed fans she was "over the fucking moon" about the casting, adding that she was "so proud of my honey."
As previously announced, Hanks is aboard the latest Baz project in the role of notorious manger Col. Tom Parker. Shooting, according to Deadline, is slated to kick off in early 2020 in Queensland, Australia.
In a statement Monday, Luhrmann pointed to the inherent difficulty of the casting process, which placed the simultaneous gifts of inner vulnerability and outward vocal prowess atop its list of prerequisites.
"Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent," Luhrmann, whose previous credits include The Get Down and The Great Gatsby, told Deadline Monday. "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."
News of Butler's confirmation comes just days after the usual suspects over at TMZ had everyone sourcing an article in which it was said that G-Eazy had recently "been in talks with people at Warner Bros," even allegedly meeting up with Luhrmann, as part of a reported push to bag the role.
