With the world gearing up for the premiere of the new musical dramaElvisstarringAustin ButlerandTom Hanks,there are a lot of behind-the-scenes tidbits about this film fans can’t help falling in love with.
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From cast facts to set secrets to who almost scored the role ofElvis Presleyover theDisneyandNickelodeonstar, there’s a lot of moviegoers should know that just might shake, rattle and roll their minds.
12-Minute Standing Ovation
It’s typical for extraordinary films to receive standing ovations as the credits roll when they premiere in theaters. InElvis’case, it made history atthis year’s Cannes Film Festival.
After premiering at the French film festival in May 2022, the biopic was met with a12-minute standing ovation— the longest and loudest applause of the festival — and left Butler and Presley’s wife,Priscilla Presley,in tears.
Tom Hanks' 79th Film
From the belovedForrest Gumpto childhood favoriteToy Storyto portraying iconic men in history likeWalt DisneyandFred Rogers,Tom Hanks has lent his talents to dozens of films in his career.
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Hanks' portrayal ofColonel Tom ParkerinElviswill mark the actor’s 79th film and will celebrate his 80th in Fall 2022 when he takes on the role of Geppetto inDisney’s live-action remakeofPinocchio.
The Ones Who Got Away
The role of Elvis Presley was up for grabs starting in 2019 when casting for the film began, and before Austin Butler won the rock ‘n roll role, there were several contenders who auditioned for the iconic part.
Aside fromAnsel ElgortofWest Side StoryandAaron Taylor-Johnson,the most notable auditioner wasHarry Styles,who lost the role due to “already being an icon,“according to directorBaz Luhrmann.
The Mother Connection
Butler admitted onTODAY with Hoda and Jennathat despite landing the lead role, it took him a while to connect with his character due to not having anything in common with Presley.
RELATED:Austin Butler on ‘Elvis’ and Why it Took Months After Filming to Find Himself Again
But after some deep diving into the crooner, Butler discovered that he and Presley had a major, emotional life detail in common: they both lost their mothers when they were only 23 years old, and that tidbit about Presley assured Butler that the stars had aligned when he scored the part.
Hanks Got COVID-19 During Filming
It was early 2020 when the film was written, characters were cast, and everyone was settled in Queensland, Australia to start filming this musical motion picture.
But with 2020 came the worldwide breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was during the filming ofElvisthat Tom Hanks — and his wifeRita Wilson— both tested positive for the disease, making them the first major celebrities to announce their diagnosis, leaving them quarantined down under and the crew halting production.
The Elvis/Austin Mashup
One of the biggest questions viewers have been asked is whether the film kept Presley’s real voice or did they use Butler’s?
The answer is simple: they used both. Thanks to some movie magic, the film mashes Butler’s voice with Presley’s for hits like “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “Blue Suede Shoes,” while Butler took on songs like his screen test success “Trouble” all on his own.
The abbreviation TCB had a lot of meanings to Elvis Presley: he named his band the TCB Band, he owned gold pendants of the letters that he and his closest confidants wore, and the letters themselves stood for his famous phrase, “Taking Care of Business.”
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Although rumors swirled for months that the biopic would simply be titled “TCB” before it was revealed it would be calledElvis,director Luhrmann kept a nod to Presley’s favorite letters in the movie’s logo, where you can find TCB in gold letters sat in the middle of the V in Elvis, accompanied by the singer’s signature lightning bolt.
Recreating Graceland
Because the film covers the life of Elvis Presley, viewers could only assume that it will be set at Presley’s famous home in Memphis, Tennessee. After all, Graceland was once home to a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie calledChristmas at Graceland,starringAmerican IdolSeason 5contestantKellie Pickler.
But forElvis,it was revealed that the movie would not be filmed at the legendary estate. Instead, Graceland would be recreated at the filming location of Queensland, Australia, where the crew built notable parts of the mansion on the set.
“What Have I Done?”
Tom Hanks has stepped into the shoes in several roles playing notable figures everyone knows and loves. But for his portrayal of Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, Hanks had some reservations.
The actor not only went bald and gained some extra pounds for the role but endured hours of makeup and prosthetics to bring Parker to life, leaving Hanks admitting, “Oh my God, what have I done?” during a promotional panel for the film at the Cannes Film Festival.
Biopic vs. Biography
WhileElvistells only some of the story of Presley’s glamorous life as The King, according to director Baz Luhrmann, the film is simply a dramatized biopic, not an entirely true-to-life biography.
Despite starring Butler’s depiction of Elvis Presley, the film will cover only 20 years of the singer’s life while also exploring what American life was like in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
KEEP READING:‘Elvis’: Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far About the King’s Biopic
