Baz Luhrmann shares early footage of Austin Butler as Elvis

Virgin Radio

18 Jun 2022, 16:29

It's uncanny, it really is.

If you've been to see Baz Luhrmann's Elvis yet, you will know that Austin Butler - in the lead role - does a remarkable job of portraying The King, right down to the smallest detail.

In fact, many fans have been telling the actor that he's kept traits of the pop legend, long after the cameras have stopped rolling and the film has been released. Particularly in his speech patterns.

“I hear that a lot, but I didn’t do anything else [but study Elvis] for two years. That’s a large chunk of life,” Butler said to Elle Australia. “I’m not surprised that it clicks in.”

He continued, “I’m a shy person. When I know that there are bits of Elvis that I’d have to click into to go out on stage and be in front of a ton of people, there are triggers. You spend so much time obsessing about one thing, which is like muscular habits. Your mouth can change.”

Now Luhrmann has shared early test footage of Butler, via Twitter. It's haunting.

In the film, Elvis’ early voice is sung exclusively by Butler, though as the singer ages, the actors voice is blended with tapes of midlife Elvis to give as similar a vocal tone as possible.

Butler talked about the process of preparing to be Elvis in a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show With Waitrose. You can read that here.

Austin, you've got us all shook up, you really have!

'Elvis' is in cinemas now.