18 facts you might not know about 'Elvis'

The idea of the Elvis biopic first hit the landscape back in 2014. At the time, it was announced that Baz Luhrmann was in talks to direct, with Kelly Marcel writing the screenplay. However, this was all we heard until 2019 when the movie was announced with Luhrmann directing but with new screenwriters.

That 2019 announcement? It came with some casting news. Namely, Tom Hanks would be playing Colonel Tom Parker. This was the beginning of the “Elvis” project. Now, all they needed was an Elvis.

Several names were considered to play Elvis, including Harry Styles, a reasonable pick given that he rose to fame as a musician. Other notable actors considered were Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Oh, and a comparative unknown named Austin Butler.

Butler would end up winning the role as Elvis. It helps that he looks quite a bit like Presley, and apparently, the actor wowed Luhrmann with an audition tape of him singing “Unchained Melody.” Butler had a little extra help, though. Denzel Washington, yes, the Denzel Washington, called Luhrmann to recommend Butler for the role.

It was met with much consternation that Rami Malek didn’t really do any singing for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” even if he won Best Actor somehow. Butler was a different story. He did the singing for the young Elvis, and to prove it (and provide buzz marketing, one assumes) Luhrmann released video of Butler singing “That’s All Right” on set. For older Elvis, Luhrmann did mix Butler’s vocals with Elvis’ real vocals.

When did the COVID-19 pandemic feel real to you? For many, the answer is when Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they had contracted COVID. Well, Hanks caught COVID when he was filming “Elvis.” As a result, the shooting was delayed until September 2020.

Originally, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rufus Sewell were cast to play Gladys and Vernon Presley. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the film was delayed. Scheduling conflicts arose, so Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh stepped into those roles.

It wasn’t just COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the cast of “Elvis.” Just after filming wrapped, Butler had to be hospitalized. Apparently, he contracted a virus that simulated appendicitis, leaving the actor bedridden for a while.

“Elvis” is not exactly short, coming in at over two-and-a-half hours. However, Luhrmann has an even longer cut out there. The director said that a four-hour cut exists that includes scenes between Elvis and his first girlfriend, Dixie, not to mention Elvis’ iconic meeting with Richard Nixon.

Butler felt a kinship to Presley, and not just because he dyed his naturally blonde hair, which is something Elvis also did. In preparing for the role, Butler discovered that Elvis had also lost his mother when he was 23. This allowed the actor to tap into a shared painful experience and used the grief he felt about losing his own mother in his performance.

Luhrmann doesn’t make subtle films, and “Elvis” is no different. A big part of that is in the costuming, especially concerning Presley. Butler wore 90 different costumes throughout the movie. He kept one of them: Elvis’ comeback special black leather outfit.

Adam Dunn had never played the upright bass before, so he rented a double bass the night before his audition to play Bill Black, Elvis’ bassist. He won the role and then spent the next three months practicing up to eight hours a day on the instrument. Clearly, he got the most out of his rental.

Hanks has a famed love of typewriters, and he gifted Butler with a typewriter when filming began. Included with the typewriter was a letter Hanks had written in character as Colonel Tom Parker. Butler, in turn, wrote a letter as Elvis back, and the two exchanged letters in this way to help themselves get into character.

While it has fallen out of favor since winning Best Picture, “Forrest Gump” was quite the cultural touchstone back in 1994. The film, which stars Hanks, featuring his titular character having all sorts of interactions with famous individuals from the past. One of them? None other than Elvis, who Forrest sort of teaches to dance. That means “Elvis” is the second time Hanks has played a guy who shaped Presley’s career.

Elvis dyed his hair from his natural blonde, so he also in turn dyed his eyelashes, as they were blonde as well. Makeup designer Shane Thomas noted this, and wanted to highlight Butler’s eyes as a result. This included the actor wearing two sets of artificial lashes, plus a lot of eyeliner for good measure.

“Elvis” debuted atop the domestic box office, beating out the juggernaut “Top Gun: Maverick” in the process. Ultimately, the film made $151 million domestically and $286 million worldwide from a budget of $85 million. While many movies make more than that, “Elvis” is the second-highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, behind “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

A biopic of a family member can be fraught for living relatives, and Elvis has a few of those to be sure. However, the response was quite positive from Presley’s family. His former wife Priscilla (a prominent character in the film), his daughter Lisa Marie, and his granddaughter Riley Keough all praised the film, as well as Butler’s performance as Elvis.

“Elvis” has somewhat surprisingly emerged as a favorite on the award front, including the Oscars. There is talk it might win Best Picture, and Butler is a favorite, perhaps the favorite, to win Best Actor. Butler has already won some awards and been nominated for some others, making this a true breakthrough movie for the young actor.