The New Elvis Presley Biopic Has Its Star: Meet Austin Butler, Who’ll Co-Star Alongside Tom Hanks

You might not be very familiar with the name Austin Butler, but you ought to be now that he’s landed the coveted starring role in director Baz Luhrmann’s planned Elvis Presley biopic (in addition to a key role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is being released this month).

The Hollywood Reporter noted that Butler was settled on after a feverish hunt for the “perfect” actor to embody the King, a search that included potential fits in Harry Styles and Ansel Elgort … but with Butler winning the role in the end.

Butler, known for his work on television shows including “Arrow” and “The Carrie Diaries,” among others, will join Tom Hanks in the principal cast, as Hanks has signed on to portray Col. Tom Parker,  Presley’s infamous and domineering manager.

Via the Hollywood Reporter:

Warners is describing the drama as having a story that will “delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America.”

As for how Austin Butler might portray Elvis, the Wrap dug up a clip from a 2012 sitcom in which Butler portrays a musician, singing a song and playing guitar:

This is a big time for the music biopic, as the recent smashing success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman have shown — and, if covered correctly and credibly, a biopic of the legendary Elvis Presley seems poised for similar levels of success.

Stay tuned!