Baz Luhrmann discovered intimate details about King of Rock working on new Elvis film
Ahead of the release of his latest project EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has revealed he discovered intimate details about the King of Rock while working on the documentary-style movie.
Baz Luhrmann discovered many more intimate details about the King of Rock while working on his new film, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.
The filmmaker, 62, carried out a huge deep dive into the late singer for his 2022 film starring Austin Butler as the music icon, but has now said his latest project on the legend threw even more light for him on his life.
Baz, whose new Elvis film premiered at the recent Toronto International Film Festival, based his new project on 36 hours of archival footage from Elvis’ 1969 residency at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Speaking to People, Baz described the film as “a cinematic tone poem” rather than a straightforward documentary or concert recording.
He said: “Documentaries about Elvis tend to be people talking about him: ‘Well, Elvis is this.’
“As we go through the material, we recognise we have him in his prime… singing like never before seen. “We found 40 minutes of (footage) of him actually talking about his life, himself.”
Elvis, born on 8 January, 1935, and who died in 1977 at the age of 42, has been the subject of numerous biopics and documentaries.
According to Toronto festival chief executive Cameron Bailey, Baz’s new film “focuses on Presley’s musicianship and his interactions with band members and singers”.
He added: “What’s revealed is his deep knowledge of gospel, blues, and country traditions, and his instinctive feel for finding the best arrangements and pace for his songs.”
Baz explained the newly uncovered footage in his latest film challenged some younger viewers’ perceptions of Elvis.
He said: “People don’t like Elvis. I was a bit surprised by the level of (audience members) relating to the screen like it’s alive… they couldn’t get over (how) goofy he is and how funny he is.
“And you get the sense of his vulnerability, that he’s particularly empathetic.”
Reflecting further on Elvis’ life, Baz said: “I think he always felt less than, and then he turns into almost godlike. So to feel less than on the inside, but godlike on the outside is what makes such a remarkable person – who can then convert that into song.”
He added: “Great icons are always flawed and they’re very human. That’s what makes them so powerful.”
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert does not yet have a release date.
Baz is also developing Jehanne d’Arc, a retelling of the story of Joan of Arc.
