Baz Luhrmann is expected to make his decision about the lead role in the coming weeks, according to Deadline
Baz Luhrmann is close to finding his Elvis Presley.
The Moulin Rouge! director is gearing up to direct his new film about the legendary star — and he’s deciding between some A-list actors, according to an exclusive report by Deadline.
In the running for the lead role in the upcoming biopic are Harry Styles, Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller, per the outlet. All three actors, in addition to Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), reportedly auditioned for the role last week.
Baz Luhrmann Is on the Hunt for an Actor to Play Elvis Presley — How to Be Considered!
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Styles, 25, former One Direction band member and singer, had his acting debut in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 World War II drama, Dunkirk — in which he played a soldier fighting for his life.
“I was new to Harry. I mean, I’d heard his name from my kids, but I wasn’t really familiar with him,” Nolan told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “What I was seeing [when Styles auditioned] was a very charismatic guy who clearly had a truthfulness and a subtlety in his ability to perform as a film actor.”
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If chosen by Luhrmann, it would be his second film role.
Elgort, 25, on the other hand, has been in many previous films and is currently shooting Steven Spielberg‘s 2020 adaption of West Side Story.Teller, 32, is in the midst of working with Tom Cruise on the sequel to his classic 1986 film Top Gun.
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Prior to reportedly testing the actors, Luhrmann sent out a public casting notice for the part, asking anyone interested in the role to send photos to [email protected].
Oscar winner Tom Hanks is already set to play Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker in Luhrmann’s biopic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director will be making his decision about his leading man in the coming weeks.
