WA talent featuring in ‘Elvis’ as it premieres at Cannes next week
Featuring Western Australian talent both in front of the camera and behind it, Elvis is set to make its world premiere next week at the 75th Festival de Cannes, where it is screening out of competition.
Elvis is an epic, big-screen spectacle from Warner Bros. Pictures and visionary, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks.
A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley, played by Perth actor Olivia DeJonge (The Visit, Stray Dolls).
WA-raised actors Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things, The Broken Heart Gallery) and Kate Mulvany (The Great Gatsby, Hunters) also feature in the cast of Elvis, playing TV director Steve Binder and radio show host Marion Keisker, respectively.
In addition to its Western Australian cast members, Perth visual effects house Double Barrel completed visual effects (VFX) on the film, supported through the Western Australian Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Rebate. The team, including Supervisor Nathan Stone, Producer Stuart Campbell and Lead Artist Jonathan Romeo, completed over 250 shots for the film.
Elvis continues an exciting run for Double Barrel, which has recently contributed VFX to a number of high-profile, international productions. Headed by Nathan Stone and Stuart Campbell, the company has worked on Disney+ feature Clouds, What Men Want for Paramount Pictures and Gringo for Amazon Studios. Other notable projects include features Hotel Mumbai, Netflix film Dumplin’ and FX Australia series Mr Inbetween.
“In terms of Elvis’s budget and scale, it’s certainly the biggest film we’ve worked on to date. We were on the project for about 6 months in total, working with a fantastic team at Warner Bros. With a number of post houses around Australia contributing to the film, it was great to fly the flag for WA. Elvis looks full of the energy and flair we’ve come to expect from a Baz Luhrmann creation. We can’t wait to see it!” said Stuart Campbell, Double Barrel VFX Producer and Company Director.
Filmed in Queensland, Elvis will return home to hold its Australian premiere on the Gold Coast in June, following its world premiere at Cannes.
A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, a Bazmark Production, a Jackal Group Production, a Baz Luhrmann Film, Elvis will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is set to release in theaters in North America on June 24, 2022, and internationally beginning 22 June 2022.
For more information regarding the WA PDV Rebate, contact:
Chris Veerhuis, Head of Production
Screenwest
E: chris.veerhuis@screenwest.com.au
T: +61 8 6169 2118