Baz Luhrmann has brought Elvis Presley to life with his typical dream-like approach to filmmaking, and though Elvis inhabits a space somewhere between heightened reality and the surreal, an incredible amount of research and preparation had to be done in order to capture Presley's rise to fame. To make it as accurate as possible, while still imbuing it with the over-the-top theatricality worthy of the King of Rock and Roll, the Elvis Presley estate had to be consulted, archival footage had to be viewed, and a deep dive had to be done into the personal anecdotes of the friends and family who knew The King best.
From Austin Butler's single-minded transformation into Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks' views about his controversial manager Colonel Parker, to how the costume designers created so many of Elvis's iconic outfits, behind-the-scenes of Elvis was just as bombastic as The King himself.
Austin Butler Does All His Own Singing
Elvis Presley is regarded as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century and an incredible showman. Undeterred by inhabiting a potentially intimidating role, Austin Butler was determined to do The King justice by learning how to sing his beloved repertoire.
Luhrmann himself confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that Butler does all his own singing as "young Elvis" in the movie, which he recorded on the original equipment that Elvis used while with RCA Records. Butler even recorded his own rendition of "Trouble" from Elvis's '68 Comeback Special specifically for the movie soundtrack.
Austin Butler Went To Get Priscilla Presley's Blessing
No one still living knew Elvis quite like his first wife, Priscilla Presley. Married to Elvis when she was 22, she toured with Elvis, had a daughter with him, and made a home for their family at the world-famous Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, in order to capture Elvis's essence, Butler knew that he needed to spend quality time with the woman who knew him best. They visited Graceland together, where she shared intimate details of her marriage and ultimately gave the young actor her blessing. She's had nothing but praise for his portrayal of her late husband.
It Was Important That The Movie Focus On Elvis's Love Of Black Culture
Elvis wouldn't be complete if the movie didn't focus on Elvis's intense love for, and influence by, the Black community. B.B. King makes an appearance, played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., along with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, played by Yola, and Little Richard, played by Alton Mason.
Lisa Marie Presley explained to Yahoo! News that it was "very important" that the movie noted just how much Elvis was raised by "both gospel and R&B." Even movies that focus on Elvis Presley don't acknowledge the inspiration he took from Black musicians when they are an important cornerstone of his career, making this movie unique.
Austin Butler Audititioned In An Unconventional Way
There are a lot of actors who could have played Elvis Presley, including famous singers like Harry Styles, but Luhrmann found his Elvis through Butler's unconventional audition tape, which the actor sent in wearing a bathrobe and sitting at a black piano.
Fueled by some emotional turmoil in his own life, Butler performed the heartwrenching song "Unchained Melody" (which doesn't appear in the movie until Elvis's later years) and so impressed Luhrmann that he was invited in for a personal meeting. According to the director, it didn't feel rehearsed, but real.
Austin Butler Got Advice From Rami Malek
In another interview with Entertainment Tonight, Butler shared the advice that he received from Rami Malek, who played Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, a musical biopic that won several Oscars, including Best Actor for Malek's performance as Mercury.
Malek told Butler that despite being nervous on the days he would need to perform in front of hundreds of extras, 'Those days will probably end up becoming your favorite days.' Though Butler was worried about properly channeling Elvis, it turns out that he did it in more ways than one - Elvis also had terrible stage fright. Finding personal connections to a star that seems larger-than-life is what makes Butler seem like more than an Elvis impersonator.
Olivia DeJonge Watched Home Movies Of Young Priscilla Presley
As much as it was an honor for Butler to take on the role of Elvis Presley, Olivia DeJonge was just as excited to play his young wife Priscilla Presley, who met Elvis when she was still a young teenager. Though DeJonge didn't meet Priscilla until after Elvis had finished filming, she watched archival footage to prepare for her role, as well as read Priscilla's book Elvis And Me.
Speaking with Variety, DeJonge explained how home movies and special archives from the Graceland Estate helped her get into character and understand the great love that Priscilla shared with Elvis. Being able to listen to intimate moments, like recordings of Priscilla going to sleep at night, gave DeJonge the unique opportunity to make her feel like a real person.
Austin Butler Obsessed About Elvis For Two Years Straight
Taking on the role of Elvis Presley presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Butler, who understood the assignment and immediately put all of his efforts into embodying The King for two years. Determined not to make Elvis some sort of caricature, he strove to find the man behind the musical icon, embodying him over three decades of his life, from ages 21 to 42.
In the same interview with Entertainment Tonight, he explained how he dropped everything in his life and obsessed over Elvis. He "started reading and watching everything" that he could about his life, from his career and friendships to his marriage, and began to build a foundation. The result is a very natural, authentic screen presence that makes Elvis come across like a real man instead of a cipher.
Tom Hanks' Makeup Artist Worked On Elvis's Prior Films
To become Colonel Tom Parker, Tom Hanks underwent an extreme physical transformation, which involved not only learning his mannerisms but getting fitted for prosthetics, as well as wearing a fat suit.
As Hanks told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, Daniel C. Striepeke, an industry veteran who has been his personal makeup artist for some of Hanks' best movies (16 overall), also happened to have been Elvis's personal makeup artist for Follow That Dream and was responsible for creating the "tan" he had in movies like Viva Las Vegas. In trying to become a man as mysterious as Colonel Parker, no doubt it was comforting for Hanks to be in the hands of a professional who also had such a connection to Elvis.
Tom Hanks Had A Difficult Time Playing Colonel Parker
Where Butler got to pour over a mountain of paraphernalia to find his inner Elvis, Hanks had a much harder time accessing Tom Parker, a Dutch immigrant who kept his personal —and professional life— deliberately in the shadows (his name wasn't really "Tom Parker" and he was never a Colonel). Hanks told Reel Talk With Ben O'Shea that Parker was "just a guy" who wasn't even featured very much in This Is Elvis and some of the documentaries about The King.
Hanks had to come up with an accent that incorporated the Colonel's Dutch heritage, as well as reflected his Southern environs, all while acting under an amazing amount of prosthetics. It's clear that while Butler had big shoes to fill, Hanks had trouble finding the shoes he needed to fill first. Recreating someone that "no one really knew anything about" gave him some creative freedom, and only makes his performance more impressive.
Elvis Presley Had 90 Costumes Alone
Elvis's sense of style is well-known, and Catherine Martin, the Oscar-winning costume designer behind The Great Gatsby (and frequent collaborator of Luhrmann's), had the daunting task of dressing Elvis across the decades; first as a fresh-faced performer, then as a seasoned rockstar, and finally as a veteran showman, all while also reflecting the changing fashion of America in between.
In an interview with Harpers Bazaar, she stated that "Elvis alone had 90 costumes," many of which were created specifically by designers like Prada, but that at one point, her team had pulled "9,000 individual outfits" just for extras. An extreme amount of work went into not only making the time period seem authentic through the costumes, but that the authenticity of the people should come through in their ensembles.