Baz Luhrmann praises ‘phenomenal’ Austin Butler as Elvis Presley

He is one of Australia’s top directors whose critically acclaimed films are known to turn cast members into household names.

And on Wednesday, Baz Luhrmann had nothing but praise for Austin Butler as he weighed in on his portrayal of Elvis Presley for the first time.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the 59-year-old said he was very impressed with Butler’s portrayal of the legendary singer and feels like his performance will put him on the map.

‘I’m not going to make Austin anything,’ he said when asked if the film would turn him into a mega star.

‘Austin is going to make himself a superstar, he is phenomenal in the movie.’

‘I don’t usually say anything about the performances in my movies but he is phenomenal.’

It comes just weeks after Luhrmann took to Twitter to unveil the brief sneak peek, which offered the first, brief glimpse of Butler as the King of Rock and Roll.

While the sneak peek doesn’t offer a look at Butler’s face, the actor is seen sporting some of Elvis’ iconic looks throughout the years. 

‘Elvis Monday. Made a little something to let you good people know we are taking care of business on June 24, 2022,’ Luhrmann said with the hashtags #Elvis #TCB.

The video begins with a shot of Elvis standing alone in the midst of what looks like a carnival, as a man behind him approaches in a cowboy hat, which may very well be Tom Hanks’ character, Elvis’ longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker. 

He’s then seen walking around backstage in his classic black leather jacket, while the final shot shows him walking in another classic Elvis look, his white jumpsuit. 

The video then featured Elvis’ iconic TCB – Taking Care of Business logo, which was the name of his band.

The video ends with the confirmation of the untitled biopic’s US release date – June 24, 2022, with the Australian date yet to be announced.