News of Baz Luhrmann's new Elvis biopic first broke a few years ago, when rumours circulated around the possibility of Harry Styles being cast as The King.
They proved to be unsubstantiated, of course, and the role eventually went to theatre actor Austin Butler, who at least bears a physical resemblance to a young Elvis.
However, it seems that his acting chops in the now-finished biopic are up to scratch, too - and that's coming from someone who should know.
Elvis's daughter Lisa-Marie Presley has seen the film and has called Butler's performance 'absolutely exquisite' in a new Instagram post praising it.
"I haven't posted in quite some time because there really isn't much to say, as I am and will forever be mourning the loss of my son," she said, referring to her 27-year-old son Benjamin Keough, who took his own life in 2020. "Navigating through this hideous grief that absolutely destroyed and shattered my heart and my soul into almost nothing has swallowed me whole."
She continued: "However, that being said, I do want to take a moment to let you know that I have seen Baz Luhrmann's movie Elvis twice now, and let me tell you that it is nothing short of spectacular. Absolutely exquisite."
She singled out Butler for praise, saying "Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully. In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha.)"
Presley also acknowledged director Baz Lurhmann, saying "Baz, your utter genius combined with your love and respect for my father and this project is just so beautiful and so inspiring. I know I'm being repetitive, but I don’t care, Thank you for setting the record straight in such a deeply profound and artistic way."
The film, simply called 'Elvis', is released on June 24th.
Read her full post below:
