Baz Luhrmann Says A 4-Hour 'Elvis' Cut Exists & Describes What Had To Be Cut

As long as you have a pretty basic knowledge of filmmaking, you understand that directors often turn in much longer versions of films when they first edit the footage together. Often, you can see a film is nearly twice its length in the first cut than it is for its eventual release. And as filmmaker Baz Luhrmann explained with his upcoming theatrical cut of “Elvis,” there’s a ton of footage that was left on the cutting room floor (or, to update that term for 2022, in his computer’s trash folder). 

Speaking to RadioTimes, Baz Luhrmann talked about the editing process for “Elvis” and said that his original version of the film clocked in at four hours. Of course, that is not the cut of the film that you’ll see in theaters later this week.

READ MORE: ‘Elvis’ Review: Baz Luhrmann Turns Raw, Gyrating Machismo Into Charisma That’s Just Loud [Cannes] 

“I mean, I have a four-hour version, actually,” Luhrmann said. “I do. But you have to bring it down to 2 hours 30.”

So, what all was left out of the film? Well, the director explains that a lot of the stuff that didn’t make it to the final cut included things with supporting characters and Elvis’ (played by Austin Butler) relationship with them. 

“I would have liked to lean into some of the other things more – there’s so much more,” he added. “I mean, there’s lots of stuff that I shot like the relationship with the band, I had to pare [that] down – and it’s so interesting how the Colonel [Tom Parker] gets rid of them. The relationship with his first girlfriend, Dixie, you know. And later on how… once he’s caught in a trap, and he’s discombobulated and doesn’t understand… someone who’s got such a hole in his heart like Elvis constantly looking and searching for love and finding it on stage but nowhere else.”

The filmmaker also mentioned that there were chunks of the film, set during Elvis’ drug-addicted years, where the artist was doing “wackadoo things” that he also had to cut. 

READ MORE: Baz Luhrmann Passed On Harry Styles Starring In ‘Elvis’ Because “He’s Already An Icon”

Now, whenever we hear word of longer cuts of films, fans might immediately invoke the name of Zack Snyder, who famously released his 4+ hour cut of “Justice League” years after its initial release in theaters. By most accounts, that longer, re-edited version is far superior than the theatrical release. So, perhaps if “Elvis” isn’t as well-received with fans, we can see Film Twitter rise up and ask for #ReleaseTheBazCut? We’ll have to wait and see.

“Elvis” arrives in theaters on June 24.