Austin Butler has been cast as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic of The King.
Butler, whose credits include The Dead Don’t Die, The Carrie Diaries and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was announced as the director’s pick by Deadline on Monday.
The casting process for Presley is believed to have been a competitive one. Ansel Elgort, Harry Styles and Miles Teller were all reportedly considered for the role.
“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,” Luhrmann told Deadline in a statement.
“Throughout the casting process, it was an honour for me to encounter such a vast array of talent.”
Luhrmann said he had first heard of Butler in the play The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and decided to pick him to play Presley “through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops”.
The director confirmed Butler’s casting on Instagram, sharing a photo of Presley followed by a photo of Butler.
Vanessa Hudgens, Butler’s girlfriend, celebrated the announcement on her own Instagram account.
Butler plays Jack in Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die. He was seen as Sebastian Kydd in The Carrie Daries, and will appear as Charles “Tex” Waston in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
