Why Baz Luhrmann can’t help thinking about Elvis

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Baz Luhrmann’s startling new movie about Elvis Presley began, the director says, with an accident.

While making his 2022 film “Elvis” – the biopic starring Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as his manager, Colonel Tom Parker – Baz Luhrmann’s team discovered a treasure trove of old film footage. Stored in a salt mine in Kansas, these reels, originally shot by MGM in the early 1970s, captured Elvis Presley rehearsing and performing during his comeback concerts at the International Hotel in Las Vegas after a period of making movies in Hollywood.

So, Baz Luhrmann found a treasure trove of archival recordings while working on his ‘Elvis’ film, but ultimately didn’t include them. He told me it presented him with a real dilemma: he could have just locked it all away and let it gather dust, or he could actually do something with it. He chose the latter, thankfully, and I’m glad he did.

His work has culminated in “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” a film that premiered last week in IMAX and is now expanding to more theaters this Friday.

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“EPiC” is a film that blends concert footage with documentary elements, charting Elvis Presley’s path to performing at the International Hotel. Director Baz Luhrmann explains this opportunity arose because his manager, Parker, was a compulsive gambler. The film follows Presley’s return to touring after a break since the late 1950s. Like Luhrmann’s other visually striking films, such as “The Great Gatsby” (2013) and “Moulin Rouge!” (2001), “EPiC” is a lavish spectacle, filled with vibrant colors and fast-paced editing – a style crafted with longtime editor Jonathan Redmond.

The biggest draw, though, is Elvis himself – his iconic hair, sparkling jumpsuits, and intensely captivating eyes. Considering how disappointing his recent movies had become, it’s amazing to witness how powerfully he could still perform live. His charisma was overwhelming. Thankfully, the documentary “EPiC” avoids interviews and instead focuses on footage of Elvis, accompanied by narration taken from a newly discovered interview where he reflects on his life and work.

The film offers a deeply engaging and visually stunning experience, comparable to the immersive documentaries “Moonage Daydream” about David Bowie and Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” about The Beatles. Jackson even helped director Baz Luhrmann restore older footage of Elvis from past concerts and films.

Director Baz Luhrmann, 63, describes his new movie as feeling dreamlike. He was speaking from a suite at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, wrapping up a series of interviews. Dressed in aviator sunglasses, an Elvis t-shirt, and a velvet jacket, Luhrmann had spent the entire day discussing the film and was about to head to the Los Angeles premiere for even more questions. Despite the constant repetition, he seemed truly enthusiastic to talk about Elvis Presley, believing the singer lived in a unique world by the time he began performing in Las Vegas in 1969.

According to Luhrmann, Elvis Presley was Hollywood’s top earner and believed he was at the peak of his career. However, he didn’t notice how much things were changing. While he was making movies like “Tickle Me” and “Clambake,” new artists like the Beatles and Bob Dylan were becoming popular. Now, the king of rock and roll risked appearing outdated compared to all the younger musicians he had influenced.

Music

A new collection of music highlights Elvis Presley’s recordings from the early 1970s in Los Angeles, released nearly fifty years after his passing.

The concert film “EPiC” showcases a vibrant performance that defies expectations. Backed by the TCB Band and the Sweet Inspirations, Elvis Presley delivers a powerful rendition of “You’ve Lost That Feeling Loving,” full of emotion, and a fiery mash-up of “Little Sister” and The Beatles’ “Get Back.” The performance of “Suspicious Minds” builds to an exhilarating peak, with Presley and drummer Ronnie Tutt feeding off each other’s energy as the song’s rhythm intensifies.

While “EPiC” is exciting, it covers similar ground to last year’s “Sunset Boulevard” collection, which featured extensive rehearsal recordings from Elvis’s preparations for his Las Vegas shows. This follows a recent surge of Elvis-related content, including documentaries about his 1968 comeback special, Sofia Coppola’s film about Priscilla Presley, a new book by Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick, and Baz Luhrmann’s blockbuster “Elvis” – which earned over $280 million globally.

After almost 49 years since Elvis Presley’s death at age 42, does it sometimes feel like there’s just an overwhelming amount of Elvis-related material available?

Luhrmann dismisses concerns about fan reactions, stating he prefers not to discuss his own feelings on the matter. He acknowledges that some adaptations are better than others, emphasizing that the key is the quality of the work itself.

Baz Luhrmann believes his film, “EPiC,” is unique because it lets Elvis tell his own story. He explains that most portrayals of Elvis focus on others talking about him, particularly how Colonel Parker tried to control his voice. In contrast, Luhrmann’s film allows Elvis to directly share his experiences – he speaks and, crucially, sings his own narrative.

Baz Luhrmann prioritized emotional impact and wasn’t afraid to take artistic risks. For example, in his version of “Oh Happy Day,” he combined the original backing vocals by the Sweet Inspirations with a newly recorded gospel choir from Nashville, creating a unique and powerful sound.

According to director Baz Luhrmann, young Elvis Presley would secretly attend services at East Trigg Baptist Church in Memphis to watch Mahalia Jackson and a Black gospel choir perform. Luhrmann feels the film is, in a way, bringing Elvis’s childhood wish to life.

Despite all the talk about AI, the director emphasizes that this film doesn’t use any of it. He’s not against the technology itself, explaining that “AI aims for perfection, but humans are flawed.” He believes it’s Elvis’s imperfections – his unpredictable movements and stage presence – that truly make him captivating on screen.

Baz Luhrmann’s ability to shape how Elvis Presley is remembered is partly due to his strong connection with the Presley family. He’s close to Priscilla Presley, their daughter Lisa Marie (who sadly passed away shortly after attending the 2023 Golden Globes to support Luhrmann’s film about Elvis), and Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keough.

He insists he doesn’t feel possessive of the singer. He’s jokingly been compared to Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager, and he laughs, saying he’s not so sure about that comparison. He sees himself more as someone who carefully preserves and manages the singer’s work, and he’s looking forward to finding and mentoring a younger person to eventually take over.

He explains that the beauty of icons is how their lives and work can be understood in countless ways by future generations. “You can’t erase their impact,” he notes. “While most artists are eventually forgotten, iconic artists remain relevant across time and cultures.”

Who’s the closest thing we have to Elvis right now?

I was really struck by what Luhrmann said. He didn’t want to pick a favorite, but he made it clear that when Taylor Swift performs, it’s an amazing experience. And he also mentioned Harry Styles is about to tour again, and that Harry always delivers a fantastic show too.

After dedicating years to the Elvis project, Baz Luhrmann is now focused on Joan of Arc. He’s currently making a film about her and, as he recently told Variety, is meticulously recreating medieval France. He admits it’s a lengthy process.

Luhrmann isn’t done with the Elvis story yet. He’s hoping to bring a version of the film, tentatively titled “EPiC,” to the Sphere in Las Vegas – not far from where Elvis famously performed. He’s already considering how to adapt the movie for the Sphere’s massive, immersive wraparound screen, similar to what they did with “The Wizard of Oz.”

Says the director: “I don’t think there’s a screen too big for Elvis.”

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2026-02-24 14:32