Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Biopic Has Found Its Priscilla Presley
And as you can see, it’s not Lana Del Rey. Thoughts and prayers to Lana Del Rey today, as she’s been training for this her whole life (or at least her post-Lizzy Grant life), only to be knocked out in the final round. If you need Lana, she’ll sadly sipping a Pepsi from the back of a 1968 Firebird while wearing a faded vintage pastel blue pleated chiffon prom dress. She was going to do that anyway, but today she has a reason for it.
We know that Austin Butler landed the role of Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, and that Elvis’ manager Col. Tom Parker will be played by Tom Hanks. Deadline now brings us the news that Priscilla Presley will be played by 21-year-old Australian actress Olivia DeJong. 21? Well they’re obviously not too stuck on historical accuracy.
Baz announced his choice for Priscilla with the following statement:
“Olivia is capable of manifesting the complex depth and presence that has made Priscilla Presley an icon in her own right. She’s an extremely talented young actor and the perfect counterpoint to Austin’s Elvis.”
Olivia has worked a lot in her native Australia (Baz is also from Australia). She also starred in the 2015 film The Visit, and plays Elle on Netflix’s The Society.
Deadline says that Baz’s Elvis movie will begin filming next year in Queensland, Australia, and will span over 20 years of Elvis’ relationship with Col. Tom. Baz wrote the screenplay with Craig Pearce (he wrote Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, and The Great Gatsby). Baz has also called in the production designer behind Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby to production design this Elvis movie. So with that being said, I look forward to all the scenes where a euphoric Elvis is showered in slow-motion glitter.
But back to Olivia. Elvis met Col. Tom in 1955, and Elvis met Priscilla in 1959 when she was 14. So if this movie covers more than 20 years, it looks like it might go all the way up until Elvis dies at 42 in 1977. By that time, Priscilla was 32. I don’t know how Baz plans to make Olivia look 14 or 32, but I’m sure he’ll find a way. And when in doubt, he can just have her face be obscured by her arm as it sprays on another layer of AquaNet onto her huge-ass teased-out hairdo.
Pic: Wenn.com