Get ready for that flood of rock star biopics coming your way in the coming years. Thanks to “Bohemian Rhapsody’s” near $1 billion box office performance, studios are quickly snatching up projects that involve any iconic rock stars they can find. It appears the next one that will soon be pushed into production is a new Elvis Presley biopic from director Baz Luhrmann, and it appears that one A-list star is already coming aboard to star.
Variety is reporting that Baz Luhrmann is courting Tom Hanks to star as the infamous Colonel Tom Parker in the upcoming Elvis biopic that the filmmaker is trying to get into production later this year. For those not aware of the history of Elvis, Hanks would portray the iconic musician’s first manager and one of the folks that helped shape his career. A shrewd businessman, Colonel Tom Parker would use every opportunity to further Elvis’ career, even when the musician was drafted into the military. The relationship between the two eroded over time.
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Hanks is no stranger to biopics. He famously has earned awards and status as one of Hollywood’s best actors thanks to performances in biopics like “Apollo 13,” “Sully,” “Captain Phillips,” “The Post,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Catch Me If You Can,” and of course, the upcoming film about Fred Rodgers, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
Fans of Luhrmann know the filmmaker has a very eclectic filmography, so it’s no surprise he’d add a biopic about Elvis to his IMDB. The director is probably best known for his films “Moulin Rouge,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Romeo & Juliet,” and “Strictly Ballroom.”
No release date has been set, but the folks behind the film hope to get production underway later this year.