Elvis star Austin Butler thought he couldn’t play ‘The King’

The story of Elvis has been brought to life on the big screen- but the man playing The King thought he could not do it. Take a sneak peek at the special Elvis edition of Vogue Australia here.

IT’S been a long time since a Hollywood blockbuster had its world premiere Down Under — and this one has its leading man sweating bullets.

Director Baz Luhrmann’s re-imagining of the Elvis story has its official opening night on the Gold Coast next week, returning to where it was shot during the Covid pandemic.

The special collector's issue of Vogue Australia, titled ‘Elvis’ and guest-edited by Baz Luhrmann. Picture: Lachlan Bailey

The red carpet will be top heavy with movie royalty, including Tom Hanks, Luhrmann and the film’s young ‘IT’ stars Austin Butler and Olivia de Jonge.

Butler says he has been gripped by fear ever since agreeing to play the world’s favourite rock’n roll legend.

And Butler in character as Elvis. Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures

Elvis Presley in 1957. Picture: Supplied

Butler tells the new Elvis special issue of Vogue Australia magazine he had his doubts about taking on such an iconic figure.

“Heart pounding and this feeling of deep terror,” Butler tells the magazine, which is guest edited by Luhrmann.

Austin Butler and Olivia DeJonge in character for Vogue Australia. Picture: Lachlan Bailey

Elvis was the first big production to base itself in Australia as the pandemic took hold globally.
Despite Tom Hanks contracting the virus, production went ahead after a six month delay and is believed to have injected more than $100 million into the economy.

Luhrmann’s edition, released on June 6, includes features on Kylie Minogue and Nicole Kidman and a first person feature from Priscilla Presley and granddaughter Riley Keogh,who love the new film.