The cast for the upcoming biopic on Elvis Presley is beginning to fill out.
Variety reports that Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic has cast Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rufus Sewell as Elvis’ parents. Gyllenhaal will play Gladys Presley, who passed away in 1958 when her son was in the middle of his meteoric rise to fame. Sewell will play the “reserved, soft-spoken” Vernon Presley.
Additionally, Olivia DeJonge has also reportedly signed on to the film in the role of Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ wife (whom he met when she was just 14 years old). The three join Austin Butler as the titular King and Tom Hanks as Presley’s manager Tom Parker.
Elvis is said to follow Elvis and his “elevation to a level of stardom and celebrity matched only by The Beatles, set against an evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.”
Musical biopics have been picking up steam in the last couple of years. Both Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman garnered some serious critical acclaim. Lurhmann is an interesting director. I wasn’t exactly floored by his The Great Gatsby film, but I’m willing to take another chance on him.
Elvis hits theaters October 21, 2021.
What do you think of the cast for Elvis so far?
