Originally announced in 2019, the Elvis movie has actually been in development for nearly a decade. For lovers of Elvis Presley, the wait has been excruciating, but this week the main trailer finally dropped. Reaction online has been electric, with buzz for the biopic at an all-time high. Austin King is taking on the titular role, while Tom Hanks is playing his controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker. Express.co.uk has all the information you need about the upcoming biopic.

What is the release date of Elvis?

After many years of delays, setbacks, speculation and conjecture, the Elvis movie is finally almost here with a current expected release date of June 24, 2022.

Elvis was originally set for an October 1, 2021, premiere, but sadly the film was pushed back after suffering numerous delays caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. At first, it was aiming for a November 2, 2021 debut, followed by a June 2, 2022 release.

It will receive an exclusive cinema release globally but will be available to stream on HBO Max in the USA 45 days after the theatrical release.

There is no word on when it will come to UK streaming services, or which ones it will call home. The most likely candidate is NOW, though nothing is confirmed at this stage.

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Who is in the cast of Elvis?

Austin Butler is taking on the daunting task of stepping into Elvis’ blue suede shoes. He said he realised he had “huge shoes to fil” when it came to singing The King’s beloved songs, but there is no overdub in the movie; Butler is actually belting out these hits and the first trailer has given fans a tease of his voice.

He said: “I think when I began the process of this I set out to make my voice identical to his. That was my goal, that if you heard a recording of him and heard a recording of me, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. I held that for a long time. What that does is also instils this fear that I won’t be able to achieve that, so that burned the fire inside me to work and work. I think maybe a year before we started shooting it was six-to-seven days a week of voice coaching and working with the right experts and getting my register in the right place.”

The 30-year-old added: “Ultimately the life is what was most important. You can emulate somebody, but to find the humanity within, the passion… ultimately I had to release myself from the restraints of that and try to live the life as truthfully as possible.” (via The AU Review)

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Joining him is Tom Hanks as Coronel Tom Parker, speaking with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, Hanks said that Parker was “both a genius and a scoundrel.” He also revealed how Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley defended the manager, calling him “wonderful.”

Director Luhrmann also shared his thoughts on Hanks taking on the role. He said: “When it comes to Colonel Tom Parker, I really enjoy – one of my great joys in life is working with well-known actors who are very well known for certain strings on their instrument.”

He continued: “But I thrill at the idea of being useful, just supportive, in allowing – every actor always has so much more to give than you ever see from them. They always have so many more strings on their instrument than they get to play. So, one of the great thrills in working with Tom, who is the Rolls Royce of actors, I mean, you know, that is a ride you want to be on. But to be around him and let him – he’ll be playing a new string on his instrument. And I think that’s a thrilling thing to see.”

Rounding out the main cast is The Visit’s Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley, X-Men: Apocalypse’s Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jimmie Rodgers, Moulin Rouge!’s Richard Roxburgh as Vernon Presley and Bad Mothers’ Helen Thompson as Gladys Presley.

The Elvis movie hits cinemas on June 24, 2022.