Austin Butler transforms into Elvis in the first trailer for Baz Luhrmann's movie on the rock-n-roll legend
- The first trailer for Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" shows Austin Butler as the rock-and-roll legend.
- The musical drama pits Tom Hanks, who plays his manager, as a villain in Elvis' story.
The King has arrived.
A musical drama about Elvis Presley is coming to theaters this summer from Baz Luhrmann ("Moulin Rogue," "The Great Gatsby").
Thursday, Warner Bros. released the film's first trailer, which shows star Austin Butler ("Zoey 101") transform into the rock-n-roll legend.
During a virtual press conference unveiling the trailer, which Insider attended, star Austin Butler said his goal was to get his voice to sound like Presley for the film.
"For a year, before we even started shooting, I was doing six, seven days of voice coaching and working with different experts," Butler said.
In the film, Butler sings as the young Presley. Butler's voice was blended with Presley in his later years to bring some of the singer's later songs to life.
During the conference, Luhrmann said he was drawn to the film for two reasons.
"The life of Elvis Presley could not be a better canvas on which to explore America in the '50s, '60s, and '70s," Luhrmann said. "It's a mythical life that he lived."
Additionally, Luhrmann was fascinated by Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played here by Tom Hanks in a somewhat villainous, narrator role.
Also starring Olivia DeJonge and Kelvin Harrison Jr., "Elvis" is in theaters on June 24, 2022.