Could Baz Luhrmann be creating a TV series about Elvis?
9:54 PM EST, December 10, 2023
The movie "Elvis," directed by Baz Luhrmann, received eight Oscar nominations after its debut in 2022. Now, the acclaimed filmmaker hints at plans to adapt the vocalist's compelling story into a TV series.
Elvis Presley, known as the undisputed king of rock 'n' roll and a pivotal icon in 20th-century pop culture, has had several films made about his life. Kurt Russell brought him to life in the 1979 film "Elvis", and Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the legendary musician in the 2005 biopic, "Elvis - Before He Became King".
Baz Luhrmann revisited Presley's legacy in 2022 with his biographical film "Elvis", featuring Austin Butler in the leading role. The movie offers an in-depth look into the dynamics between Presley, his manager Colonel Tom Parker, and his wife, Priscilla Presley, earning Butler an Oscar nomination for his portrayal.
Last month, Luhrmann's TV series "Faraway Downs", an extended version of his film "Australia", premiered on the Disney+ platform. The director enhanced the original storyline and added a new ending using footage shot during the filming process. Speaking to ComicBook, Luhrmann revealed that he has similar intentions for "Elvis".
The success of "Faraway Downs" has spurred Luhrmann to consider serializing the "Elvis" movie with Austin Butler reprising his leading role, albeit requiring a significantly different storytelling technique. "To do the same with Elvis? Not this year. Perhaps not even next year. But I would like to create a serialized version of Elvis. That would be a completely different style of storytelling than what I would do in a movie version", stated Luhrmann.
Drawing parallels between his vision for the Elvis series and musicians reinterpreting their songs, Luhrmann said, "I think about musical agility and the ability to take the same song, reinterpret it and rediscover it. It keeps the artist engaged. But it is also decoding and re-creating the story, keeping it alive at the moment. That's why I would do this with Elvis."
