On June 24 2022, Australian director Baz Luhrmann's new biopic 'ELVIS' was released to the cinemas to massive success. But it was as far back at May 2014 that EIN first reported that fellow-Australian Baz Luhrmann had started working on his concept for a stunningly fabulous ELVIS movie. And being fascinated with Elvis Presley Luhrmann then began work on his stunning documentary that would become 'EPiC' 'Elvis Presley In Concert' with its 2026 worldwide release.
Go here to read everything you need to know about Luhrmann's award-winning 'ELVIS' biopic
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert': Fabulous second 'Official Trailer'
in Theaters Worldwide Feb 27
In Australian Theatres Feb 19
(News, Jan 14 Source/Neon/EIN)
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert - Official Trailer: In Theaters Worldwide February 27, 2026
EIN brings you all the news stories and reviews of 'EPiC' 'Elvis Presley In Concert' below ...
'ELVIS PRESLEY In CONCERT' New Baz Luhrmann movie:30 MAY 2025, 'ELVIS' director Baz Luhrmann has revealed the name of the Elvis documentary project that he has been working on.
Luhrmann posted on Instagram..
.."I’ve teased it just a little and you’ve definitely seen the hints - now it’s time to say it out loud... #EPiC “ELVIS PRESLEY in CONCERT: see and hear him tell his story like never before”
Later today, I’ll be discussing all things EPiC at the Sony Music Vision content showcase and don’t worry!
I’ll be trying to swipe a few frames to share with you all on the feed."
Wednesday 4 March 2026
'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' - Review by Paul Belard:'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' opened last week in cinemas worldwide. It has already received rave reviews in the general media and now profilic author Paul Belard provides his take.
Luhrmann has noted.." In EPiC' Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “gold jacket” performance in Hawaii....”
Belard notes that, "This movie was a vindication for me. A unique film in gorgeous colors, scenes that brought chills along the spine, songs that made you want to tap your feet, some that made you hold back tears, seeing this man that brought us so much in regal splendor...
‘EPiC’ expands to UK saturation: In the UK Universal has successfully expanded 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' from 53 UK and Ireland IMAX venues last week to 637 cinemas nationwide.
The UK weekend box office was £1.14m, and adding in the week-long IMAX preview brings the total to £1.9m (US$2.5mill), taking third place at the UK and Ireland box office.
The London 'BFI IMAX' remains the top-performing site.
Check 'Universal UK' for cinemas & tickets
or check with your local cinema, it's playing in nearly every city
New UK openings include QUAD Derby, Olympic Studios Barnes, Cinema In The Arches Battersea, The Parade Marlborough, Curzon Cinema Clevedon, Zeffirellis Ambleside, Ilkley Cinema and Wetherby Cinema.
The UK Times review gave 'EPiC'five stars "The King Rises Again - Luhrmann’s Elvis tribute is a five-star delight — and better than his biopic
Drawn from 69 boxes of forgotten footage discovered in a Kansas salt mine, this is a thrilling tribute to The King, even if you’re no fan of his music"
(Source:BFI/EIN) EIN thanks Ed Gibbs for the word-up
Tuesday 3 March 2026
'EPiC' Brilliant Cinema Success!: The data is now in for the second weekend internationally.
While IMAX presentations are dropping off, the film is now in most local cinemas.
And the results are excellent.
US Domestic Box Office - $7,825,920
International Box Office $6,758,000 Worldwide Box Office - $14,583,920
This is very impressive for a retrospective music documentary.
Comparing'EPiC' with 2016's 'The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years'.
It too had a famous director Ron Howard, a budget of $5 mill and eventually grossed $12.3 million worldwide.
It also had a similar marketing "push" - although no one does Marketing & Publicity quite like Baz Luhrmann!
And on week #2 - 'EPiC ELVIS' has overtaken 'The Beatles' - nice!
In Australia 'EPiC' is the 4th highest grossing film last week, generating nearly $2mill of that International Box-Office..
1 Scream 7 - $2,503,400
2 “Wuthering Heights” - $11,108,750
3 Crime 101 - $3,228,100
4 EPiC Elvis Presley in Concert - $1,874,550 (News, Source;Numbers/PB/EIN)
EPiC: 'Always On My Mind' Clip: Another promo trailer showing how well Baz Luhrmann and his team can upgrade old Super 8 film footage.
In the movie the song 'Always On My Mind' is interestingly dedicated more to Lisa Marie than Priscilla.
(News, Source/EIN)
Sunday 1 March 2026
'EPiC' Soundtrack in Worldwide Charts: The 'EPiC: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' has only been out a week but already it is doing extremely well in the charts.
The highest charting Elvis release in years. Let's hope it continues to climb in its second week.
On the UK Album Charts
UK Top 100 Albums - straight in at #17
UK Soundtrack Albums Chart - #1
UK Physical Albums Chart - #5
UK Album Downloads Chart - #5
In Australia 'EPiC' debuts at #26 on Top 50 ARIA Albums Chart
Amazon Australia - #3 on 'Best Sellers in Music'
Scottish Album Chart - #5 German Top Albums Chart debut at #49
Amazon USA 'Best Sellers' EPiC is #3
No sign of it yet on the Billboard charts -
Also on Amazon UK Best Seller CDs - #2 - and Top Soundtracks & Musicals - at #1
EIN rates the 'EPiC: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' as a superb collection that you will keep on playing GET A COPY NOW!
'EPiC Elvis Presley in Concert' UK BluRay: Amazon UK are now offering 'EPiC Elvis Presley in Concert' for preorders...
Blu-ray £15, DVD £10 Ultra4K £25 "Elvis sings and tells his story like never before in a new cinematic experience from visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann."
No Release Date
Disappointing news is that the '1-disc set' is listed with a duration of 90 minutes.
Which is a little odd as the cinema version is 96 minutes
Here's hoping for an extended version release.
(News, Source;AmazonUK/EIN)
Saturday 28 February 2026
Baz Luhrmann will make you Fall In Love with Elvis Presley: A delightful review from NPR. .. by Tim Greiving it includes... I've never cared a lick about Elvis Presley, who would have turned 91 in January, had he not died in 1977 at the age of 42. Never had an inkling to listen to his music, never seen any of his films, never been interested in researching his life or work. For this millennial, Presley was a fossilized, mummified relic from prehistory — like a woolly mammoth stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits — and I was mostly indifferent about seeing 1970s concert footage when I sat down for an early IMAX screening of EPiC.
By the end of its rollicking, exhilarating 90 minutes, I turned to my wife and said, "I think I'm in love with Elvis Presley."
Luhrmann choose to leave in many shots with camera operators seen running around with their 16mm cameras because we live in an era where we're used to seeing cameras everywhere and Luhrmann felt none of the original directors' concern about breaking the illusion. Those extreme close-ups allow us to see even the pores on Presley's skin, now projected onto a screen the size of two buildings. The sweat that comes out of those pores is practically a character in the film. Luhrmann marvels at how much Presley gave in every single rehearsal and every single concert performance. Luhrmann notes, "Elvis must have superhuman strength. He becomes the music. He doesn't mark stuff. He just becomes the music, and then no one knows what he's going to do. The band do not know what he's going to do, so they have to keep their eyes on him all the time. They don't know how many rounds he's going to do in 'Suspicious Minds.' You know, he conducts them with his entire being — and that's what makes him unique."
The revivified concerts in 'EPiC' are a potent argument that Elvis wasn't just a superior live performer to the Beatles, but possibly the greatest live performer of all time. His sensual, magmatic charisma on stage, the way he conducts the large band and choir, the control he has over that godlike gospel voice, and the sorcerer's power he has to hold an entire audience in the palm of his hands (and often to kiss many of its women on the lips) all come across with stunning, electrifying urgency.
While researching for ELVIS he came to appreciate how insecure Presley was as a kid, growing up as the only white boy in a poor Black neighborhood, and seeing his father thrown into jail for passing a bad check. "Inside, he felt very less-than," says Luhrmann, "but he grows up into a physical Greek god. I mean, we've forgotten how beautiful he was. You see it in the movie; he is a beautiful looking human being. And then he moves. And he doesn't learn dance steps — he just manifests that movement. And then he's got the voice of Orpheus, and he can take a song like 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'and make it into a gospel power ballad.
So he's like a spiritual being. And I think he's imposing. So the goofiness, the humor is about disarming people, making them get past the image — like he says — and see the man. That's my own theory."
Luhrmann conceived EPiC as "an imagined concert," liberally building sequences from various nights, sometimes inserting rehearsal takes into a stage performance (ecstatically so in the song "Polk Salad Annie"), and adding new musical layers to some of the songs. Working with his music producer, Jamieson Shaw, he backed the King's vocals on "Oh Happy Day" with a new recording of a Black gospel choir in Nashville. "So that's an imaginative leap," says Luhrmann. "It's kind of a dreamscape."
On some tracks, like "Burning Love," new string arrangements give the live performances extra verve and cinematic depth. Luhrmann and his music team also radically remixed multiple Elvis songs into a new number, "A Change of Reality" which has the King repeatedly asking "Do you miss me?" over a buzzing bass line and a syncopated beat. - I didn't miss Elvis before I saw 'EPiC' — but after seeing the film twice now, I truly do.
Go to NPR for full review (News, Source;NPR/EIN)
Baz Luhrmann Elvis stage musical in the works: This story about Baz Luhrmann's Elvis stage musical has been doing the rounds as a new surprise last week.
On UK radio this week Luhrmann explained, "[An Elvis stage musical] it's being worked on. It's happening, yeah. I don’t know if I was supposed to announce it, but, hey, I just did."
Luhrmann is not directing the Theatre project "handing it on to other creators", the same as 'Strictly Ballroom' and 'Moulin Rouge!' which were both adapted into musicals for theater.
However this news is not a surprise since back in April 2023 EIN reported... "The AussieTheatre.com has announced that Baz Luhrmann, best known for directing visually stunning and flamboyant films such as ELVIS, Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, and The Great Gatsby has mentioned work on an Elvis stage musical.
Luhrmann spoke about the musical on the 2023 Oscars red carpet, comparing it to Moulin Rouge! and confirming that he would produce but not direct it."
- Check out EIN's Spotlight on Baz Luhrmann's ELVIS' movie (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Friday 27 February 2026
'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' EIN Review: Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert' opens in cinemas worldwide today Feb 27, 2026. It has already received rave reviews in the general media and now EIN has a deeper look.
Director Baz Luhrmann explained.."'EPiC' is not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film: Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “gold jacket” performance in Hawaii.
Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.”
Directed by Baz Luhrmann and edited by Jonathan Redmond, the documentary is 96 minutes of stunning insight into Elvis the artist, caring friend and creative genius from small-town Mississippi.
Watching 'EPiC' on big screen is one of those deeply satisfying tactile experiences that can truly only be felt in your body. A great meal. A satisfying run. Swimming in warm ocean. Crisp mountain air. Playing with your puppy. Having a good buzz...
Baz Luhrmann on 'EPiC': Another Baz Luhrmann interview, this time for 'IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit' where he talks more about technical side. The article includes...
.. When Baz Luhrmann was directing his 2022 film “ELVIS” he heard about some mythical missing reels from the 1970 documentary “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” Luhrmann was intrigued, mainly because he thought he could use the footage in his film and thus avoid building a huge set and employing hundreds of extras. When he sent an associate into the Kansas City salt mine where MGM keeps its negatives, he discovered that there was something even more valuable hidden in the studio’s collection.
The result of that journey is “EPiC: Elvis Presley Live in Concert,” a gloriously exuberant celebration of The King that’s unlike any concert film or music documentary ever made. It’s an impressionistic and immersive portrait of Elvis at a peak moment in his artistry, when he was performing up to three shows a night in Las Vegas and interpreting everything from his own classics to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” and The Beatles’ “Get Back.”
First, however, Luhrmann had to find the missing sound for all the material in MGM’s archives. Because “Elvis” was a success, Luhrmann was able to hire a researcher who he said was really more of a full-time detective to track down the audio, which often involved shady exchanges in parking lots with people selling a few minutes of sound at a time on the black market. In some cases Luhrmann had to convince collectors who didn’t want to part with their material that his intentions were pure, meeting with them multiple times until they trusted him with crucial footage.
Once Luhrmann had all of the material, he took it to (Beatles Get Back) Peter Jackson’s Park Road so they could restore the footage to its original glory. Luhrmann was intent on presenting Elvis and his music as they were, so the idea was to preserve the footage without altering it. “There’s not a frame of AI in this film. There’s not a visual effect. What Peter and his team do is take the negative and take the abrasions out of it and reproduce it at its highest quality. Then we take it back for color grading, which is a very sensitive art. It’s just spending hours and hours, which I did with our colorist.”
The rigorous work pays off in “EPiC,” which looks and sounds like it was shot yesterday. “The pictorial resolution is achieved through painstaking love. Peter and his team have this love and there’s no one like them on the planet. Think of what they did with that first World War picture [‘They Shall Not Grow Old’]. Think of what they did with The Beatles.”
The restoration work and the enveloping sound design by Wayne Pashley make “EPiC” an extraordinarily visceral experience that not only brings the viewer inside Presley’s perspective but gives a sense of what it would have been like to attend one of his concerts.
“We wanted to make it as much as possible like you’re actually at a
concert with Elvis,” Luhrmann said, which is why he encourages audiences to see it on the biggest screen available — preferably IMAX.
Although the movie is a typically maximalist Baz Luhrmann spectacle, its production was much smaller than he’s used to, and that made it particularly pleasurable. “I’m not saying I don’t enjoy [making other films], but everything is usually fraught with labor and complexity and is a mountain climb. Here we were a tiny little team and EPiC was probably the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever made.”
Go here to Indiewire for full article (News, Source;IW/EIN)
'EPiC' Original Soundtrack Album Unboxing And Review: Want to know more about the EPiC Soundtrack release? Luckily Sean Tarrant of 'Sincerely Elvis' provides a charming review and his thoughts on whether they got a release of "updated Elvis" right this time.
He rightly notes, "We have to try and capture the general public and not just go for the Elvis hardcore. We need new people in to keep refreshing Elvis and take him forward into the future. I haven't got a problem with them mixing around and messing around as long as they do it well."
He also tells you his opinion of the just released 'Elvis Day By Day' book. (News, Source;'Sincerely Elvis')
Wednesday 25 February 2026
'EPiC'#2 film in Australia... almost $1M in just 4 days!: Australia does not have a large population, we only have five cities with over 1 million people.
Yet 'EPiC' is the #2 grossing film in Australia and has earned almost US$1M in just 4 days! 'Wuthering Heights' with all its intense publicity is the only film earning more. 'EPiC's popularity means that it is also showing on the 2nd highest number of screens.
Weekend Australia Chart for February 20, 2026
1 “Wuthering Heights” weekend Gross $2,680,475, Screens 489, p/s $5,482 - 11 days
2 (new) 'EPiC Elvis Presley in Concert' Gross $941,571, Screens 373, per/screen $2,524 - 4 days
3 'Crime 101' Gross $726,008, Screens 343, p/s $2,117 - 11 days
4 'Fackham Hall' G $309,647, Screens 266, p/s $1,164 - 4 days
5 'Marty Supreme' weekend gross $234,620, screens 185, p/s - 32 days
‘Why unseen Elvis footage is a five-star triumph': Two reviews from our biggest National newspaper, The Australian.
The first ★★★★★ review by film critic Stephen Romei was in the main newspaper. ‘Unadulterated pleasure’: Why unseen Elvis footage is a five-star triumph'
It included...
.. Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is 100 minutes of unadulterated pleasure. I smiled throughout. Some moments sent tingles up my spine. That is rare. My mother says it transported her back to when she was a young rocker. That is a gift. I had physical and emotional responses to this documentary. It is inspirational. If you have a young person in your life who dreams of being an entertainer, take them to this.
It’s not about the fat, sad Elvis we see at the end of Luhrmann’s superb 2022 drama ELVIS. It’s the happy, hammy, jocular, modest Elvis. He is utterly and beautifully alive.
Here we hear from the king of rock n roll himself, and his voice, on stage and off, is remarkable.
There is no narration, no interviews, except with Elvis, who discusses his childhood, his army days, his unfulfilling movies (“Same film. Different name. Twelve new songs”) and his musical influences. It’s fascinating.
The director is not silenced as he deftly uses Elvis’s voice.
The focus is on Elvis in concert. He is extraordinary to watch. He has such fun. He loves the audience. He loves being on stage. The director shifts between the various Vegas gigs and earlier ones elsewhere.
Elvis does tap dance steps as the camera cuts to cheering audience member Sammy Davis Jnr. He laughs while recording The Beatles’ 1969 song Something. “Very suggestible lyrics,’’ he tells his bandmates. He dances with a fan’s bra on his head. We see him pash female fans. “It’s a hard way to make a living,’’ he notes.
Above all, we hear his voice, and what power it has. With hundreds of songs on offer I wondered how Luhrmann would finish. He does it with a perfect medley, including one cover, that tells a story of its own. ★★★★★
New film critic Nikki Gemell also added her thoughts in the weekend magazine. Her review included..
.. It looks like a documentary. Sounds like a documentary. But Baz Luhrmann and his creative team state, emphatically, that this is not a documentary. 'EPIC' is a "tone poem". A phrase possibly deployed in an attempt to break free of obsessive Elvis fandom in pursuit of a broader audience. So. Not documentary, not concert film.. Something else entirely.
Luhrmann's philosophy- "Let's just get out of the way" i.e., let Elvis tell his own story. The filmmaker worked with Peter Jackson, who collated The Beatles: Get Back documentary, as well as a crack Aussie team on sound and colouring. The footage has been beautifully restored. No AI, no visual effects. Elvis unfiltered.
With added Baz-dazzlement: in the rapid-fire editing, general tone of busyness, unrelenting pace, diamante-saturated title sequence and remix of Suspicious Minds that may well send you out of the cinema smiling and quite possibly dancing. l did.
This is Baz's maximalist imagining of what a documentary is. Sorry, tone poem.Complete with actual poem, in homage to the great man, written and recited by Bono. Unnecessary, but hey, Bono. Very Baz.
Yet despite being billed as "his side of the story", EPIC doesn't deliver any earth-shattering revelations in terms of Elvis mythology.. his power was in performance. Which is still electrifying, up close. Very up close, if you see this in Imax.
Performers should watch this for a masterclass in connection, charisma and confidence. The most mesmeric singers are relaxed on-stage, which introduces an element of danger, spark and edge and spontaneity. Elvis, in this regard, was electrifying. Reactive. Loose. Free. "Every song was like, we did it for the first time," he reveals in the interview. "That's one of the secrets." And it's about as revelatory as he gets.
So. Will EPIC break out beyond the world of Elvis obsessives? Not sure, yet it's worth a watch for the sheer glory of the masterful performer. The irrepressible left leg rarely stops shaking, even in rehearsals. And the interest lies in the practice room footage. A world rarely seen. This is Elvis the musician, marinated in music and talking his muso talk - modulation, beats, voice - as he develops his big-band Vegas sound. We see Elvis jamming and at one point breaking into a tender version of Yesterday. Divine.
There's a natural authority here, in this collaborative and safe environment, among colleagues.
'EPiC' is about homage and wonder and joy. Near its conclusion, Can't Help Falling in Love had audience members shooting up, slipping their arms around each other, swaying and singing. The experience was worth it for that alone; to witness the interaction of an adoring crowd. Its allowed. Luhrmann encourages it. There are lots of Aussie technicians involved in bringing the forgotten footage to life, and I'd like to thank them for this gift. - ★★★½ (News, Source;The Australian/EIN)- EIN thanks Pat O'Donnell for the research
Tuesday 24 February 2026
'EPiC' Soundtrack in Australia Amazon Charts: Great to see 'EPiC: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' at #2 in the overall Amazon Australia "Best Sellers" chart
Ahead of Olivia Dean (Messy) and even Taylor Swift's 'Folklore'.
Interestingly the 'Lilo & Stitch Pic Disc LP' with 5 tracks by Elvis is still at #54
In Australia"Best Sellers Rock Music" 'EPiC: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' is #1.
It is also #1 in "Hot New Releases in Rock Music"
On Amazon US 'Best Sellers' 'EPiC: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'is #1
with Bad Bunny 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS' second
Amazon US 'Soundtracks' 'EPiC: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' CD is #1
#2 - KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack)
and #3 'EPiC' Soundtrack Amazon Exclusive VINYL Edition (News, Source;NP/EIN)
'EPiC' Big Cinema Success!: The data is in for the opening weekend.
Most countries were only showing it on IMAX, while Australia luckily had it on IMAX as well as in local cinemas.
The US Opening Weekend earnings = $3,215,440
International Box Office = $2,027,000 Worldwide Box Office = $5,242,440
This is very impressive for a retrospective music documentary.
And it is best to compare 'EPiC' with 2016's 'The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years'.
It too had a famous director Ron Howard, a budget of $5 mill and eventually grossed $12.3 million worldwide.
It also had a similar marketing "push" - although no one does Marketing & Publicity quite like Baz Luhrmann!
EPiC's "Average per screen $" in USA was also noted as the highest of any film for the weekend box office.
1 GOAT - $4,961,563 Screens 3,863p/s $1,284
2 Wuthering Heights - $3,580,036 Screens 3,682 p/s $972
3 I Can Only Imagine 2 - $1,585,123 Screens 3,105 p/s $510
7 'EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert' - $725,608 Screens 325per/screen $2,232
(News, Source;NP/PB/EIN)
Sunday 22 February 2026
"New Elvis Presley Concert Pic Wows": The Hollywood Reporter has posted the first box-office news about 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert'.
While new films ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘GOAT’ battle it out for first place 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' gets a neat mention.. "New Elvis Presley Concert Pic Wows" even though it it still only showing on IMAX screens in the US.
The article includes.. .. Warners is predicting Wuthering Heights will top GOAT at the global box office again to finish Sunday with a worldwide total in the $150 million range.
Baz Luhrmann‘s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is off to a rousing start in its limited debut in 325 IMAX screens after earning both glowing reviews and audience scores.
From Neon, the concert doc is on course to earn $3.2 million this weekend before expanding nationwide.
Luhrmann, who also directed the acclaimed biopic 'ELVIS', painstakingly restored 59 hours of unseen footage from the Warner Bros. archives, including discarded material from two ‘70s concert films. 'Elvis Presley in Concert' is in a close battle for sixth-place with A24’s Glen Powell-starrer How to Make a Killing (1,625 locations) despite playing in far fewer cinemas. (News, Source;HR/EIN)
'EPiC- An emotional experience of striking immediacy': The Australian Film journal, FilmInk.com.au, has rated Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC' a stunning 19 out of 20!
Their review includes..
.. In his towering, kaleidoscopic 2022 biopic ELVIS, Australian master director and famed cinematic showman Baz Luhrmann displayed an affinity for and creative connection to his subject rarely seen in biographical cinema.
There was no mockery in ELVIS, no smugly superior cultural critique, and no winking at the audience, which is a considerable feat considering the complexity surrounding the expansive mythology of Elvis Presley.
A very happy by-product of Baz Luhrmann’s huge production of the biopic ELVIS is the surprise new documentary concert feature EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert, which functions as the perfect companion piece.
Luhrmann painstakingly remastered the best of the hours of lost material into the dynamic new cinematic experience that is the magisterial EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert.
Working in tandem with editor Jonathan Redmond (Elvis, The Great Gatsby), Luhrmann ingeniously creates full song performances from various outtake sources from his found material, resulting in stunning work-ups of classics like “Polk Salad Annie”, “Burning Love”, “Little Sister” and many more.
Cannily thread through these heady musical set-pieces are various on-film interviews from multiple sources (often press conferences); grainy, home-movie style footage; and copious rehearsal footage of Elvis and his huge backing band getting it together in the studio.
This rehearsal footage is where EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert really sings. It’s revealing, engaging and incredibly entertaining. It’s also where Luhrmann’s striking affinity for The King once again comes into play.
It’s in this material that we see a happy, vital Elvis, deeply in tune with his treasured backing musicians (all players of extraordinary prowess) and singers (each and every one profoundly gifted in their own right), locking in the pocket, laughing and goofing off, and falling joyously into the music.
This is always where Elvis looked happiest, and Luhrmann really gives this material room to breathe, an opportunity a less focused and not as keenly in-tune filmmaker may have missed.
There’s plenty of kitschy, nostalgic 1970s joy to be found in EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr. and George Hamilton are all glimpsed backstage and in the Las Vegas casino audiences), along with moments of great humour (the livid, near-hysterical female response to Elvis – and his on-stage response to the attention – never ceases to amaze), but this is first and foremost an emotional experience of striking immediacy. Baz Luhrmann’s spiritual connection to Elvis Presley is truly powerful, and as in the mighty Elvis, you feel it in every near-evangelical moment of the masterful EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert. It’s a music movie of the very first order… all hail The King. - 19/20 (News, Source;FilmInk/EIN) - see full review here
"Absolutely Sublime Celebration of Elvis": The Next-Best-Picture journal has also given 'EPiC' a rave review.
They note..
.. Baz Luhrmann, along with his long-time collaborator and editor Jonathan Redmond, have crafted an absolutely sublime celebration of Elvis at this late stage in his career.
Elvis was always an interpreter of songs rather than a craftsperson, emerging from an era where the pros wrote the songs and the legends took to center stage to perform. This is how the likes of more contemporary tunes like Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” composition are allowed to shine in a slightly oleaginous but nonetheless genuine, prayerful take by Presley.
Classic tunes and torch songs are performed throughout, and an electric “Suspicious Minds” displays the man’s almost manic energy, giving his all to make his audiences enthralled.
Yet the most powerful thing that “EPiC” does (similar to some of The Beatles “Get Back’s” most powerful revelations) is exposing the pure musicianship of the man.
Backstage moments where the band is working up arrangements are truly exceptional, we’re witness to several miscues and goofs, all in the process of rehearsing for perfection, and these moments both humanize the man and also speak to his far more sophisticated musical mind than many may attribute.
Similarly, Luhrmann and Redmond have gone to great lengths to ensure that this is Elvis himself telling Elvis’ story. The result is an intimate portrait unlike any other, providing a perfect introduction for those unaware of anything save the broad
strokes of the man’s career, but equally providing many in depth ruminations (capped with extremely clever visual pairings) to evoke the triumphs and travails of the man’s time on Earth, which will surprise even the most die hard fans. "EPiC” dives as deeply into the man behind the stage as it does to the one prancing in front of the crowds, and it’s this magical combination that makes this easily one of the most thrilling, extraordinary musical films of this era.
Certain to energize longtime fans and generate new ones for generations to come, “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is a masterwork of montage. It’s a definitive doc that gives the sense of how the artist changed popular music, but also about how at his core he was a man with a powerful voice and a zealous need to entertain. The King is dead, it’s true. But thanks to Baz and his team, the King is allowed to live long into the future, his crown burnished to shine just as brightly for years to come. (News, Source;N-B-P/EIN)
'EPiC: World Tour' Merchandise: A new merchandise collection inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' "World-Tour" is now available through Shop Graceland.
The 'EPiC' collection draws directly from the power and presence of Elvis on stage.
The lineup includes concert collage T-shirts, close-up portrait tees, a relaxed crew sweatshirt, an oversized tee, a zip hoodie, and a tote bag.
Go to Shop Graceland (News, Source;EPE/EIN)
Saturday 21 February 2026
'EPiC' Soundtrack released: The 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' Soundtrack CD was released yesterday and not only is it a fabulous compilation but Baz, of course, has some fun with the cover art.
It's 75 minutes of "NEW" Elvis truly very, very, very enjoyable.
It is basically the movie soundtrack (with full length songs where cut down).
The "mash-ups" are great fun and the original Elvis versions have been remastered to glorious effect, new bass lines and redubbed backing-vocals where needed.
Elvis' vocal is super-clear and has an amazing presence.
It's hard to believe this material was recorded over 50 years ago.
Some fans didn't like the re-worked 'In The Ghetto' studio version in the movie but the full-length mix is very clever, capturing the power of Elvis' vocal to an eerie empty landscape.
The soundscape is glorious - as it should be.
The Hampton Roads live material sound massive.
The last 20 minutes of the movie is basically all here and an impressive listen. "Men with broken hearts" is mixed into the end of 'In the Ghetto', then 'Walk a Mile' straight to 'Suspicious Minds', "bring the curtain down" and 'C.H.F.I.L'.
It's bloody marvellous. - BUY A COPY TODAY! - Check out the "Listening Party" below (News, Source;EIN)
Listening Party! 'EPiC: Original Soundtrack': A neat promo idea was this official EPE "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Listening Party!"
A fabulous 7 minute compilation of highlights from the soundtrack album.
Check it out as you wait for your copy to arrive..
(News, Source;EPE)
Want to check out all the 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'?
EPE have posted audio clips of all the songs on YouTube.
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' - Exclusive Clip: A new clip - only runs 47 seconds - from IGN "home for the latest movie and TV show trailers, including exclusive sneak peeks, teasers and first looks"
The clip seems to be semi-official.
This has some lovely 'Baz Quality' footage of Elvis on stage. 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert - Exclusive Clip (2026)'
(News, Source;IGN/EIN)
'EPiC' on DVD / Bluray / 4KUltra: Good news that 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray & 4KUltra HD sometime in the future.
Australian on-line shops have promoted their release today - which would seem a little early for Baz Luhrmann's "you must see it on the BIG screen" marketing campaign.
EIN imagines that this news should not have been published so early. No release date is announced.
No content nor duration is noted
The prices are AU $20 $30 $40 (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Thursday 19 February 2026 - - 'EPiC' opened in all Australian cinemas & IMAX today - -
'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' Reviews ★★★★★: Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC – Elvis Presley In Concert' opened across Australia today both on IMAX and in regular cinemas.
The 'general media' reviews have been published and they are all outstanding.
The Australian Financial Review gave it ★★★★ - stating that "Baz Luhrmann's Elvis EPiC lives up to its name"
The review included..
.. Baz Luhrmann meeting Elvis Presley is the kind of combination that might scare people, suggesting a melding of Vegas kitsch with maximalist filmmaking. Don’t be afraid. The Australian director’s latest piece of razzle-dazzle, 'EPiC' reanimates the “King of Rock and Roll” in a pulsating and appealing concert documentary.
It’s a cinematic surprise and the latest example of how Luhrmann can sprinkle his magic. He’s unearthed Elvis from the crypt to make him look and sound fresh and vital.
One of the first tricks Luhrmann pulls is acknowledging the banality of Elvis’ cinema oeuvre through wry montages and Presley’s own laments. Yes, even Elvis didn’t like Elvis on screen.
He regretted not being able to rebrand his cinema persona after returning from his draft assignment with the US Army in West Germany in 1958. It’s an early sign that this smart compendium of first-person recollections and concert footage is not just for fans.
Luhrmann does much to rejuvenate the Elvis brand and allow suspicious minds to reassess.
He presents the alluring Elvis. The rehearsal footage is particularly endearing, showing a humble leader around whom the world revolves.
It’s loose and likeable, even at the point where he slides into a couple of Beatles covers, Yesterday and Something, and doesn’t quite nail them. The Vegas stage is where it’s at, though, and Luhrmann knows how to play it: long and loud. Most appealingly, EPiC focuses on his big live bangers like the pulsating Polk Salad Annie and Little Sister and lets them run hard, rather than re-hashing the over-exposed hits like Hound Dog or Jailhouse Rock.
Their driving rhythm sections would not be out of place in a contemporary song.
The restored footage is crisp and colourful, as Elvis’ insane ’70s outfitting deserves. And the sound is crystal clear and thumping. Need it be said, this is something to experience in a big cinema.
While 'EPiC' excels as a concert experience, it also succeeds as a mini-documentary that humanises Elvis.
A bouncy opening charts his rise to an eventual stasis, with bouncy montages zipping through cultural touchpoints and providing meaning.
The first-person account lifts its credibility as does the un-Baz 90-minute running time and Jonathan Redmond’s fine editing. Luhrmann has sprinkled his magic dust again while being very disciplined. EPiC is joyful, illuminating and unexpected.- - - - - - - -- - - - - - (see full review here)
The Australian newspaper similarly noted★★★★★ ... "How Baz Luhrmann unleashed the happy, hammy Elvis. Baz Luhrmann has transformed forgotten Elvis footage from underground vaults into a cinema experience that had audiences dancing in the aisles. The movie is unadulterated pleasure - using unseen Elvis footage it is is a five-star triumph" (News, Source;AFR/EIN)
More 'EPiC' reviews: Other media have similarly heaped praise on 'EPiC – Elvis Presley In Concert'.
The well-respected UK music magazine MOJO noted... "Beautifully restored document of The King in his live pomp"
The review includes..
.. What Luhrmann has achieved here is an extremely enjoyable documentary celebration of one of the greatest performers of the 20th century, which delivers what his disappointingly reductive 2022 biopic failed to do. (EIN disagrees with that last point!) The footage has been beautifully restored, including 8mm home movie clips; for example, while the 1957 shots of Elvis wearing the gold suit onstage in Hawaii have long been on YouTube, here they positively sparkle. Rehearsal sequences reaffirm Elvis’s absolute control of the music, bringing out the best in band and backing vocalists alike, and when treading the boards he clearly has the audience in the palm of his hand.
At one point in the voiceover he admits to stage fright – “I get it every time” – but this is hard to tell from the way he effortlessly commands the room, patiently saying to a woman attempting to tear off one of the tassels from his jumpsuit “It won’t come off, dear, it’s tied”, and dispensing relaxed, witty asides, “It’s dry up here. I feel like Bob Dylan slept in my mouth”.
Fans seem close to fainting, Sammy Davis Jr and Cary Grant show up backstage, and the now-lost world of Elvis’s Vegas looks like an impossibly glamorous place to spend an evening.
The sound is mostly pristine, although given a modern gloss which may annoy purist fans, but overall, the film effectively showcases Elvis, front and centre, whose live performances have lost nothing of their intoxicating power with the passing decades.
What We’ve Learnt From Elvis Presley In Concert:
- Luhrmann is clearly no fan of ‘Colonel’ Tom Parker, here shown in a montage of clips backed by (You’re The) Devil In Disguise.
- Elvis played a mean rhythm guitar, combining Little Sister with Get Back, and driving it along with his 1965 Gretsch Country Gentleman.
- It’s not easy to look cool with a fan-thrown bra draped over your head, but somehow Elvis manages it.
- If at any of the Vegas shows you were seized by the urge to buy a hound dog soft toy, they had them in all sizes. ★★★★- - - - - - - - -(see full Mojo review)
And movie magazine Screen Realm confirmed... 'Baz Luhrmann’s Electrifying Concert Film Is a Must-See for Elvis Fans'
... As far as concert films go, this is a must-see for Elvis fans. Drawing from long-lost material, the film presents performances with remarkable clarity.
On a purely visual and sonic level, this is about as close as you can get to “being there” without some future virtual reality version of the concert experience (which I imagine isn’t far off).
Luhrmann’s trademark flourishes are present, but he shows more restraint than expected. The documentary passages are where the heightened energy, flashy edits, and montage-driven rhythm get their workout. When the film locks into the music, however, he knows when to pull back and let Elvis, his band, and the backing vocalists do what they do best.
The concert footage is the reason to buy a ticket.
Having Elvis narrate parts of it gives the film a more personal feel, like you’re actually spending time with him rather than just watching a greatest-hits package.
Sure, it’s selected and shaped, and you’ll occasionally want him to dig a little deeper when it skims past bigger topics. But it works: it draws you in and holds everything together without needing a parade of talking heads. That sense of closeness is boosted by plenty of behind-the-scenes footage.
The rehearsal sections, in particular, are a treat. It’s genuinely enjoyable to see Elvis at work, relaxed and playful as he crafts and fine-tunes arrangements, riffing with the musicians and clearly loving the craft.
For newcomers, this is an accessible primer on why Elvis remains such a seismic figure in popular music history.
For long-time fans, it’s an hour and a half spent in the company of the King at full voltage: sweat-drenched, magnetic, generous with his audience, cracking jokes, bantering with his band, and holding crowds in the palm of his hand.
It's mesmerising. 'EPiC' does what it sets out to do. It turns up the volume, dims the lights, and lets Elvis bring the house down. ★★★★ (News, Source;Mojo/ScreenRealm/EIN)
Tuesday 17 February 2026
‘EPiC: "An Electrifying Companion Piece to ELVIS Bio-Pic": In today's review The Hollywood Reporter has given a huge amount of praise to ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’.
Their review by Chief Film Critic David Rooney includes...
.. The Australian director doubles down on his worship of a subject whose flamboyant showmanship, soaring emotions, perpetual motion and ravenous taste for bling make them very much kindred spirits. It’s as if Luhrmann were conducting a séance, awakening Elvis from the afterlife with a raw vitality and outsize energy that are rare even among the living.
Calling the movie an archival doc or concert film might be accurate but somehow seems almost reductive.
Much more than that, it’s a transcendent theatrical experience, an exhilarating party, a giddying visual and sonic blitz that will be an elixir to the Elvis faithful and an unparalleled primer for those who have never quite grasped what all the hysteria was about.
The acronym that serves as the title is not at all hyperbolic. See the film on the biggest screen with the loudest multidimensional sound system possible and believe.
This film makes no claims to do anything other than celebrate a legendary entertainer in full command of his powers.
While his Vegas residency at the International Hotel from 1969 to 1976 might be considered past that point, any effects of prescription drug abuse, weight gain and medical crises are negligible in footage that intercuts between those template-setting shows, tour dates and the rehearsal studio, often within the same song.
Working with Peter Jackson’s restoration facilities in NZ, Luhrmann is able to present performances with crisp definition, lush colors and crystalline sound that give EPiC the same kind of thrilling, you-are-there immersive quality as great concert films like Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense or Spike Lee’s American Utopia.
Nodding to the pearl-clutching caused by his stage gyrations, Presley skirts the issue of sexual suggestiveness. “Some people wonder why I can’t stand still while I’m singing,” he says. “I’ve tried it and I can’t do it.”
Luhrmann is no stranger to continuous motion; his kaleidoscopic montages seem to spring from the same music-driven impulses as Presley’s dance moves.
As soon as his movie contracts were done, Elvis threw himself back into live performances, eager to reconnect with his audience.
Luhrmann and editor Jonathan Redmond thread biographical material throughout in the subject’s own words — no talking heads here — but the dominant focus becomes the shows.
The director pulls back on his propensity to cut everything like a movie trailer and allows key numbers to play out at length. Presley comes across as the most generous of performers, holding nothing back in primal-energy concerts that leave him drenched in sweat.
Footage of the Vegas residency is especially vibrant in showing the bond between the idol and his fans, whether he’s beguiling them with velvet-vibrato seduction, pulsing like a turbo generator, striking karate poses or ascending to a massive finish on powerful gospel anthems like “How Great Thou Art.” His roof-raising take on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” will leave you breathless.
Watching Elvis interact with his musicians or flirt with his backup singers helps consolidate the impression that everyone on stage is having a blast.
What’s remarkable is how spontaneous the shows feel, never slick or over-rehearsed, as if the guy in charge is intentionally keeping it loose.
Canonical tunes like “Suspicious Minds” and “Burning Love” up the excitement, while love songs “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” shift into more intimate mode.
In addition to the electric stage sequences, I particularly enjoyed glimpses into the rehearsal studio where much of the material for the Vegas act takes shape.
In his super-cool chrome aviator sunglasses and a truly amazing iridescent psychedelic print shirt, Elvis gives the air of just hanging with friends as he dips into Beatles covers like “Yesterday” and “Something.”
The fashions in general are spectacular, none more so than the wild, custom-designed jumpsuits that were his Vegas signature — with lace-up chest closures, Napoleonic collars, half-capes, bell-bottom pants and whopping great belts befitting a wrestling champion, all of it embellished with gems, rhinestones, rivets and fringes.
One of the most remarkable things about EPiC, however, is that despite the outlandishness of the costumes, the movie never feels kitsch or frozen in time. It’s a pulse-pounding, foot-tapping, body-quaking record of a consummate performer, and Luhrmann reaffirms his love by making it too ecstatically alive ever to feel like a museum piece.
See full Hollywood Reporter review here (News, Source;HR/EIN)
Monday 9 February 2026
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' Australian Premieres: The official Australian premiere of 'EPiC' was Saturday night at the AACTA Awards (Australia's Oscars) on the Gold Coast while last night Sydney had its premiere at Westpac OpenAir cinema "the world's most beautiful cinema". Baz Luhrmann was present at both and showed his enormous enthusiasm for each event.
It was interesting to see Luhrmann personally checking the showing of the film and getting the projectionist to turn up the volume to his chosen level - loud.
The film has also had its Australian IMAX previews ahead of the rest of the world.
The film opens in regular Australian cinemas on Thursday 19 February.
EIN was super-impressed with the film, without a doubt Luhrmann's use of outstanding sound, colour and fast editing is what makes this movie so great, but that is a given with all his movies.
Avoiding too many spoilers, highlights included both 'Polk Salad Annie' and 'Burning Love' where both combined Rehearsal and Live performance footage, the upgraded quality of 'Little Sister / Get Back', 'Are You
Lonesome Tonight' (Elvis sitting on the stool), Elvis in his hotel suite relaxing with the guys and new "celebrity Party" footage, the stunning version of 'Oh Happy Day' and, of course, the new footage from Hampton Roads - plus the new audio mash-ups.
Baz neatly highlights the musicians & Elvis' interactions - everyone being totally focused on following Elvis.
EPiC is STUNNING and with all the fast-editing will need several viewings to take it all in.
Luhrmann also posted this great Sydney shot telling everyone that 'EPiC' was happening right now!
(News, Source;Various/EIN)
Baz Luhrmann Talks 'EPiC': This afternoon was the Sydney IMAX premiere of 'EPiC'.
Before the showing Baz Luhrmann explained even more about making the film.
First Luhrmann noted that it was Elvis expert Ernst Jorgensen who suggested that he searched the MGM vault in the Kansas salt-mine for the new film.
.. We found all the TTWII footage, On Tour plus we came into possession of this 8mm film that had never been seen before - but it all had no sound.
By then we had already built the Showroom set for the Austin Butler movie, so in fact we were never going to use it.
Elvis fans then discovered that we have this new material and they are saying "release the footage, release the footage" and I'm saying ‘What are we going to do’ as of course we can't put it back into the salt mine.
So John Redmond my creative partner and editor says, "We've got to do something special, because there is so much new material, like the complete Hampton Roads... Vegas..."
But if we did the normal movie thing it would have to have been 12 hours long and would have cost so much to refurbish it - and we wondered what to do. But luckily we then discovered this 40 minute tape of Elvis audio where he is telling his story, completely unguarded and really open-hearted.
And that was the "light-bulb" moment.
We thought let's just get out of the way, let's just imagine as if Elvis came to you in a dream as a concert, where he just told his story and sang his songs to you.
None of the usual talking heads, but just having Elvis telling his story.
And that was a giant journey for us since it took us forever having to sync the missing audio.
Sometimes the orchestra audio was damaged or Sweet Inspirations audio was not there. So we sort of made this dreamscape and I was so lucky to work with Peter Jackson of ‘The Beatles’ and his amazing team to bring back this material to the highest possible quality.
Now it is so high-quality that I've heard people say we must have used ‘AI’ or visual fx, but I want to guarantee you one thing - There is not one frame of AI in this film, and there is no visual FX, the only visual effect is the one that Elvis has on his audience.
We just got out of the way.
This film feels like you are in a showroom watching Elvis in concert, and there is a line in the movie where Elvis says, "I really want to tour, I want to go to Japan, I want to go to England, I want to take it to everyone round the world" - He so wanted to come to Australia, and it never happened for reasons which I am sure a lot of you know. And I think that it’s the saddest thing, like a bird hitting their head on a glass wall.
Tonight I go to Melbourne and then straight to Paris and then the UK, because we are going to give Elvis the world tour that he dreamed of but never had.
And I am so glad that we are kicking off this ‘EPiC’ World Tour - that Elvis dreamed of but never had - in my hometown Sydney where we managed to create what you are about to see. (News, Source;EIN/EvanMueller) EIN give special thanks to Evan.
Baz Luhrmann Chats 'EPiC': Australian's 'Today' breakfast show - on Ch9 this morning - featured 'EPiC' director Baz Luhrmann discussing his a one-of-a-kind ELVIS cinematic experience.
It's a cute 4 minute look at this great new movie
(News, Source;CH9/EIN)
Saturday 7 February 2026
'Oh Happy Day' (EPiC Version) New promo: A new taster from the 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' soundtrack.
RCA Legacy say "Make today a happy one with the release of "Oh Happy Day (EPiC Version)" from the upcoming film, Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert!"
Follow this link and pre-order the album via your preferred digital provider. EIN Note:'Oh Happy Day' from Elvis' August 7 1970 showroom rehearsal has been previously released but only the shorter 1.55 mins version.
Running 3.11 and with overdubbed instruments, this is a much more satisfying version. It also demonstrates the real shame that Elvis never decided to record the song. (News, Source;Legacy/EIN)
On 'Baz Luhrmann Official' Baz explained about this new upgraded version, "When we have a sequence in the film where Elvis is speaking about his musical heart, it’s born from Gospel and from country. When recovering the sound, we were able to have some wonderful sequences with the incredible Sweet Inspirations.
In the short sequence for 'Oh Happy Day' the archival recording quality wasn’t strong enough. So we were lucky to have Shannon Sanders and his incredible group of singers down in Nashville, who sang in the film 'ELVIS', create a somewhat musical memory flashback of Elvis in his early days sneaking in and watching the Gospel Choir at East Trigg Baptist Church. A heartfelt shout-out for all of the wonderful creative support to Shannon and the choir for this reimagined version of 'Oh Happy Day'.- BL
'EPiC' two Ads in Grammy Awards: The Grammy Awards is usually seen by over 18 million viewers on CBS TV in the USA, plus millions more worldwide.
Today the US presentation included the trailer for Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC' twice during the 3 plus hour broadcast.
With the new 4K quality and fast Baz Luhrmann editing the trailer made a worthy impact.
This was the major publicity Elvis fans needed to see going to a huge and musically appreciative audience.
Once again proving that Baz Luhrmann knows how to market his movies.
As a side-line fans may be interested to know that Cher nearly stole the show in comedic form when on stage taking the lifetime achievement award.
There was also a lengthy tribute to all the musicians who died last year including Brian Wilson, Connie Francis, Roy Ayers, Lalo Schifrin, Steve Cropper, D’Angelo and Ozzy Osbourne.
In part of the tribute to Roberta Flack, Lauryn Hill sang 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet) - with EIN thanks to Joan Gansky
Thursday 29 January 2026
Baz Luhrmann on 'EPiC': Australian director Baz Luhrmann yesterday talked to the Sydney Morning Herald about his new Elvis film.
The article included... ... 'EPiC' is a dazzling whirlwind of a film that uses rediscovered footage from the King of Rock’n’Roll’s Las Vegas performances, it shows how charismatic he was on stage in his mid-30s.
You'll understand why Elvis sold more than a million tickets performing in Vegas over seven years, as well as more than 500 million records around the world.
There are two elements of the new film that flesh out Luhrmann’s earlier portrait.
Behind the scenes in Vegas, Elvis is loose and likeable as he banters with his band and back-up singers away from the frenzied adulation of fans in the outside world. And while everyone knows the hits, it is a revelation how well he covers, with his rich, deep, soulful voice, the likes of Bridge Over Troubled Water, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me and Yesterday.
Luhrmann explains, “Elvis takes the Simon and Garfunkel song and he turns it into a kind of power ballad, a spiritual. I call him Orphean. Orpheus, the mythical character, was such a great singer that the very rocks and stones would get up and follow him. Elvis could take a song and personalise it in such a way.
People don’t understand the level of musicianship that he naturally had. He just looks at musicians and he’s conducting with his body and his soul.”
The 96-minute film was warmly received at the Toronto Film Festival last September, Variety called it "extraordinary". “It’s having an effect even on people who don’t have much of a relationship with or even care about Elvis.
He is someone who’s had many documentaries made about him – and some of them are very good – but they’re generally other people telling you about Elvis. Not actually him telling you in his own voice and in his own words.”
It took more than two years for all this archive footage to be restored by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production and enhanced to cinema quality. “It’s called EPiC because Elvis, as a performer, was epic. It had to be a big-screen experience. It had to be a theatrical experience. It had to be as if you were there.
.. I never realised how funny he was. And you get so clearly that he is so, so, so comfortable on stage but so uncomfortable off stage.
One really well-known person, who I won’t mention, but she’s a legend, said to me, ‘No human is built to be that famous’. There’s a level of fame that humanity has trouble dealing with and there’s only a handful of people who have ever been as famous as Elvis.
Elvis came up with the idea of turning karate into dance. At the time … hip hop was also turning martial arts into dance but Elvis created a movement style.
He also created a visual style with his clothing: the 'Elvis look'. He didn’t have a stylist.
.. There are very few historical figures where you can say a name anywhere in the world and people have some notion of that person. Elvis is one of them."
- Go here for full SMH article. - See EIN Spotlight 'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' for more images (News, Source;SMH/EIN)
'Wearin’ That Night Life Look' Video: A YouTube treat by Akshat Luthra.
A very cool video looking at the new 'Jamieson Shaw Remix' mashup of Elvis' 'Wearin' That Loved On Look / Night Life' which also features samples of 'I, John' and 'Let Yourself Go'.
EIN NOTE: This is purely a teaser and not representative of the Baz Luhrmann movie
(News, Source;ALuthra/EIN)
Baz Luhrmann discusses 'EPiC' with EPcore ⚡️: Yesterday Australian director Baz Luhrmann also took time out to talk with his group of supportive fans.
Via EPiC Facebook page and Instagram he assured fans that the movie would be shown in their countries and also on IMAX.
He noted, "Going LIVE w the EPcore ⚡️
Finding the EPiC FB group was an incredible surprise and to support the core I'll be going LIVE to read some of the epic discussions happening on the page… maybe I’ll even answer some of your burning Qs!
When the EPcore speak, I listen!
An EPiC IMAX update..
Let’s give ELVIS the World Tour he dreamed of but never had.”
'EPiC' gets epic number of AI generated book releases: EIN Book News notes that there are now at least five books about Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming film, EPiC (Elvis Presley in Concert).
They appear to be AI generated.
Even the photos on the book covers are NOT Elvis!
As EIN noted in our recent review of 'EPiC' The Ultimate Movie Review', "The book is AI generated and there is in fact NO PHOTO of Elvis anywhere in the book, nor any image from Baz Luhrmann's new movie. It is that bad. NOTHING AT ALL is revealed about the actual film and it is obvious that the author has not even seen the movie! He knows nothing about Elvis nor where any of the remastered footage has come from and like all these recent AI publications it is purely there to deceive fans."
Buyer Beware! The book by 'Johanna Grunwald' is unbelievably similar to the 'Kayden Darcy' book. It notes... "If the film stayed with you after the lights came up, this book meets you there. It does not retell what you saw. It slows the experience down, examining how performance, sound, editing, and restraint work together to create meaning without explanation. This is a guide for readers who want to watch more attentively, not more loudly." - REALLY!!! wtf. (News, Source: Amazon; EIN) - See 'Elvis Book News 2026'
Wednesday 21 January 2026
'EPiC' L.A. Premiere: Elvis and James Brown were both regarded at times as the "hardest working man in show-business" but 'EPiC' director Baz Luhrmann is certainly the hardest-working man when it comes to promoting 'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert'
Australia, where EIN is based, is very lucky to have the first 'EPiC' premieres outside of the festival circuit. Gold Coast Australian Premiere: AACTA Festival, Saturday February 7 Sydney Premiere with Baz Luhrmann in attendance: OpenAir Cinema, Sunday February 8 Melbourne Premiere with post film Q&A: IMAX Melbourne, Monday February 9.
The next week finds Baz Luhrmann in West Coast USA promoting the movie, where we can also expect him to be appearing on the usual talk-shows.
The L.A. Premiere which has flown a little under the radar is at Mann’s Chinese Theater... L.A. 'EPiC' Premiere w Baz Luhrmann & Guests IMAX on February 18. (Get tickets here)
if you live closer to Burbank then the following day Baz Luhrmann will be there as well. AMC Burbank- 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' & Q&A with filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, Feb 19, - Go here for AMC tix
Elvis fans and EPE have to be thankful for Baz Luhrmann 'the hardest-working man in show-promoting business' (News, Source;EPiC/EIN) - ... EIN thanks Jim Thomton for the word-up
'EPiC' FREE premiere at Westgate Las Vegas: The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, the historic home of Elvis Presley’s record-breaking 636 sold-out performances, will host a landmark cinematic event: the Las Vegas premiere of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the highly anticipated new film from Oscar-nominated director Baz Luhrmann.
The exclusive FREE screening will take place Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 7pm inside the iconic International Theater - the very stage - the Hilton showroom - where Elvis made entertainment history.
'EPiC' is poised to become one of the most talked-about films of 2026. For Elvis fans across the globe, experiencing the movie inside the theater where he performed nightly for years is more than a screening— it is a homecoming.
Cami Christensen, Westgate CEO noted, “To debut the new Elvis film in the very theater where Elvis transformed Las Vegas entertainment is profoundly special. Fans from around the can return to the home of Elvis for this extraordinary event.”
Tickets on a first-come, first-served basis- Click HERE now. (News, Source;DanS/Westgate/EIN)
Friday 16 January 2026
'EPiC' - full-on Publicity: If there is something that Australian director Baz Luhrmann excels at it is marketing and publicity.
Whatever project he is on gets 100% media and press focus.
There are suggested figures that Luhrmann's 'ELVIS' biopic had a marketing & distribution budget of over $150 million for a film that production-wise cost around $85 million.
However 'ELVIS' ended up grossing over $300 million worldwide so the numbers make sense.
So while some Elvis fans might be concerned that 'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' could get disappointing box-office results similar to what happened with
Rick Schmidlin's 'TTWII Special Edition' back in 2001, however Baz Luhrmann will make sure that the new Elvis movie gets maximum publicity. Note that a big mistake with 'TTWII Special Edition' was that it made its debut on the TCM cable network - where it became "the most watched TCM film, seen by 95% of the audience" - thus robbing cinemas of potential customers as well as DVD purchases.
Baz Luhrmann would never have allowed that.
In fact having financed the movie himself Luhrmann took 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' to the Toronto Film Festival without the film having any kind of distribution deal - despite the fact that the footage came from the Warner Brothers vaults!
With 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' it is great to see such a BLAST of publicity on every major TV station plus news networks such as CNN and major social media presence.
EPE is lucky to have Baz Luhrmann as their favourite Elvis fan! (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Monday 12 January 2026
'EPiC: Elvis in Concert' New IMAX poster: The film's distributor Neon has now released the IMAX official poster for 'EPiC: Elvis in Concert'.
The film in general opens February 20 in IMAX theaters and Feb 27 in all cinemas worldwide.
However in Australia it opens in regular cinemas on February 19
.. “Elvis Presley like never before. Featuring long-lost footage discovered by Academy Award-nominated Baz Luhrmann, EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CO
'EPiC' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' Digital / CD / Double-vinyl: Legacy / RCA Records have announced the release of the 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' on digital and CD Feb 20 - with a 2-LP vinyl release on April 24.
Executive produced by Baz Luhrmann, the soundtrack features 27 tracks from the upcoming film combining newly restored live performances with fresh remixes and medleys created from Elvis’ original recordings.
The US CD version is priced at a cool US$13 - See Tracklisting below
'EPiC' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' Digital / CD / Double-vinyl: Legacy / RCA Records have announced the release of the 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' on digital and CD Feb 20 - with a 2-LP vinyl release on April 24.
Executive produced by Baz Luhrmann, the soundtrack features 27 tracks from the upcoming film combining newly restored live performances with fresh remixes and medleys created from Elvis’ original recordings.
The CD version is priced at a cool US$13 - See Tracklisting below
The release coincides with the film’s IMAX engagement beginning February 20, followed by a wide theatrical release on February 27.
The Graceland-Exclusive vinyl edition is a special Red Marble variant, only via >> Shop Graceland. Priced at $35.98 & shipping (News, Source;EPE/EIN)
'Wearin’ That Night Life Look' Preview: Fans who know their Elvis collections should be rather interested in the new track on the 'EPiC' official soundtrack album called 'Wearin’ That Night Life Look' by Elvis & Jamieson Shaw.
It sounds like a cool Mash-Up of Elvis' 1969 'Wearin' That Loved on Look' and 1963's 'Night Life' - and it is!
In fact it also features 'Wearin’ That Loved On Look' / 'Night Life' / 'I, John' and 'Let Yourself Go' to hopefully “create an entirely new track from Elvis DNA,” as envisioned by Luhrmann and 'EPiC' music producer Jamieson Shaw.
‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ Soundtrack Album: At last we get the official announcement of the highly-anticipated ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ Soundtrack Album.
EIN posted the rumour 2 weeks ago.
...RCA Records will release the official soundtrack album for the concert documentary EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert on February 20. 'EPiC' is directed by Baz Luhrmann who also serves as the project’s executive music producer and features long-lost footage from Elvis' legendary Vegas residency in the 1970s, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour and home movies. 'EPiC' the movie will be released in IMAX theaters on February 20 before a wider release the following Friday, February 27. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- (click photo for high-res)
-- Below is the full tracklisting 1. Can’t Help Falling in Love (EPiC Intro) (0:21)
2. Also Sprach Zarathustra/An American Trilogy (EPiC Version) – Elvis Presley & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1:50)
3. That’s All Right (EPiC Version) (2:02)
4. Tiger Man (EPiC Version) (1:41)
5. Wearin’ That Night Life Look – Elvis & Jamieson Shaw (3:13)
6. Hound Dog (EPiC Version) (1:21)
7. Polk Salad Annie (EPiC Version) (5:43)
8. You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling (EPiC Version) (4:21)
9. Little Sister/Get Back (EPiC Version) (3:04)
10. Burning Love (EPiC Version) – Elvis Presley & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (3:23)
11. Never Been to Spain (EPiC Version) (2:15)
12. Love Me (Jamieson Shaw Remix) – Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw (3:49)
13. I Can’t Stop Loving You (EPiC Version) (2:13)
14. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (EPiC Version) (1:47)
15. Always On My Mind (EPiC Version) (2:31)
16. How Great Thou Art (EPiC Version) (2:52)
17. Oh Happy Day (EPiC Version) (3:11)
18. A Big Hunk O’ Love (EPiC (2:07)
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water (EPiC Version) (4:14)
20. In the Ghetto (Jamieson Shaw Remix) – Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw (4:10)
21. Walk a Mile in My Shoes (EPiC Version) (2:00)
22. Suspicious Minds (EPiC Version) (4:50)
23. Bring the Curtain Down (EPiC Outro) (1:11)
24. Can’t Help Falling in Love (EPiC Version) (1:57)
25. American David (EPiC Version) – Bono & Elliott Wheeler (0:49)
26. A Change of Reality (Do You Miss Me?) – Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw (3:10)
27. Don’t Fly Away (PNAU Remix) – Elvis Presley & PNAU (4:09) EIN Note:Don’t Fly Away (PNAU Remix) was also released on Baz Luhrmann's 'ELVIS' movie Deluxe soundtrack, 'Wearin’ That Night Life Look' sounds like it will be a cool 'Mash-Up', as does 'A Change of Reality (Do You Miss Me?)' (News, Source;RCA/ElvisInfoNet)
Two New Graceland Exhibits: Graceland celebrates Elvis’ Birthday with two new exhibits, 'Elvis 1956' and 'EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert' now open at Elvis Presley’s Memphis.
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' exhibit is inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s new film.
The exhibit showcases stagewear, jewelry, guitars, movie posters, and rare performance memorabilia, including several pieces never before displayed.
Featured items include:
- Concho Jumpsuit worn by Elvis; also the first suit seen in EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert
- Red Outfit worn by Elvis during rehearsals for his Las Vegas shows
- TCB Sunglasses made by Optique Boutique in California
- Black Leather-Like Outfit worn by Elvis at his opening-night after-party on August 10, 1970
- Gretsch Country Gentleman Guitar purchased by Elvis Presley in July 1969 and used during his performances in Las Vegas in 1969 and 1970
Both exhibits are now open - Go here to Graceland for more info and tickets (News, Source;EPE/EIN)
'EPiC: Elvis in Concert' New poster: The film's distributor Neon has now released the second official poster for 'EPiC: Elvis in Concert'.
The film opens February 20 in IMAX theaters and Feb 27 in all cinemas.
The caption notes, “Elvis Presley like never before. Featuring long-lost footage discovered by Academy Award-nominated Baz Luhrmann, EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.”
click for hi-res image
EPiC features long-lost footage from Presley’s legendary Vegas residency in the 1970s, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour and treasured 8mm home-movies from the Graceland archive, along with rediscovered recordings of Elvis telling 'his side of the story..'
Baz Luhrmann, along with his long-time collaborator and editor Jonathan Redmond, have crafted an absolutely sublime celebration of Elvis at his rhinestone-festooned, TCB gold sunglasses late stage in his career. Drawing from over 60 hours of concert footage dug out from an archive buried deep in a mountain, the so-called King has never looked more royal.
(News, Source;Neon/EIN)
Tuesday 23 December 2025
'EPiC: Elvis in Concert' official poster: The film's distributor Neon has now released the first poster for 'EPiC: Elvis in Concert'.
The film opens February 20 in IMAX theaters and Feb 27 in all cinemas.
The caption notes, “Elvis Presley like never before. Featuring long-lost footage discovered by Academy Award-nominated Baz Luhrmann, EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.”
click for hi-res image
EPiC features long-lost footage from Presley’s legendary Vegas residency in the 1970s, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour and treasured 8mm home-movies from the Graceland archive, along with rediscovered recordings of Elvis telling 'his side of the story..'
Baz Luhrmann, along with his long-time collaborator and editor Jonathan Redmond, have crafted an absolutely sublime celebration of Elvis at his rhinestone-festooned, TCB gold sunglasses late stage in his career. Drawing from over 60 hours of concert footage dug out from an archive buried deep in a mountain, the so-called King has never looked more royal.
(News, Source;Neon/EIN)
Above- images from 'EPiC' as supplied by NEON worldwide distributors
'EPiC' Sydney Premiere 8 Feb 2026: Great news for Elvis fans who live in Sydney, Australia as the 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' Sydney Premiere has been announced for 8 February 2026, just one day after its Australian premiere at the 2026 AACTA festival (Australian Oscars) on the Gold Coast.
Not only that but it is being premiered at the 'World's Most beautiful Open-Air cinema' before the backdrop of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and city skyline. This is Elvis as you have never seen or heard him before.
Drawn from newly unearthed footage the film places audiences on stage and in the room with Elvis at the height of his powers. Just pure performance and
Elvis in his own words revealing the entertainer, the musician, and the man behind the icon. “One of the most exciting concert films you’ll ever see…”
Click here to Westpac Open-Air-Cinema for Tickets - Hurry they are nearly Sold Out already. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
'EPiC: Elvis in Concert' Australian Feb 19 release in all cinemas: More good news for Australian Elvis Presley fans, Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT' has a 'regular' cinema release date of February 19 2026, a week earlier than the rest of the world.
Meanwhile the Australian IMAX theater release is still February 20, 2026 - one day later.
“Elvis Presley like never before. Featuring long-lost footage discovered by Academy Award-nominated Baz Luhrmann, EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.”
Aussie Elvis fans check here for IMAX notifications - bookings not yet on-line
For regular cinema 'EPiC' bookings check Hoyts or Palace Cinemas or your local independent cinema for Australian Feb 19 showings
(News, Source;NP/ElvisInfoNet)
'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' Soundtrack CD: The up-coming official 'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' soundtrack album was posted earlier today as available for pre-order from Amazon.
It is a 27-track soundtrack CD and digital download.
However there has been no official SONY / EPE announcement yet, and at the moment the Amazon post has been removed. Tracklist..
1. Can't Help Falling In Love (EPIC Intro)
2 Also Sprach Zarathustra/An American Trilogy (EPIC Version) - Elvis Presley & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
3. That's All Right (EPIC Version)
4. Tiger Man (EPIC Version)
S. Wearin' That Night Life Look - Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw
6. Hound Dog (EPIC Version)
7. Polk Salad Annie (EPIC Version)
B. You've Lost That Loving Feeling (EPIC Version)
9. Little Sister/Get Back (EPIC Version)
10. Burning Love (EPIC Version) - Elvis Presley & RPO
11. Never Been To Spain (EPIC Version)
12. Love Me (Jamieson Shaw Remix) - Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw
13. I Can't Stop Loving You (EPIC Version)
14. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (EPIC Version)
15. Always On My Mind (Omer Fedi Remix) - Elvis Presley & Omer Fedi
16. How Great Thou Art (EPIC Version)
17. Oh Happy Day (EPIC Version)
18. A Big Hunk 0' Love (EPIC Version)
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water (EPIC Version)
20. In the Ghetto (Jamieson Shaw Remix) - Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw
21. Walk A Mile In My Shoes (EPIC Version)
22. Suspicious Minds (EPIC Version)
23. Bring The Curtain Down (EPIC Outro)
24. Can't Help Falling In Love (EPIC Version)
25. American David (EPIC Version) - Bono & Elliott Wheeler
26. A Change Of Reality (Do You Miss Me?) -Elvis Presley & Jamieson Shaw
27. Don't Fly Away (PNAU Remix) - Elvis Presley & PNAU
- Out February 20, 2026.
Thanks to facebook / ElvisDayByDay for the word up (News, Source;Elvis Day By Day/Amazon)
Thursday 4 December 2025
'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' February 27 Worldwide Release: Neon / Universal Pictures have set the global release date for Baz Luhrmann’s "EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert"
There will be a One-Week EXCLUSIVE IMAX® engagement starting February 20.
The regular movie will open in Theaters World-Wide on February 27.
The one-week exclusive IMAX release on Feb 20, 2026, will allow audiences around the world to immerse themselves in a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience, hearing Elvis perform and tell his story like never before, with the unmatched power of IMAX.
Following the one-week engagement 'EPiC' will hit theaters everywhere on February 27.
The film debuted to critical acclaim and a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival. Vogue hailed the movie as “a burst of concert-film adrenaline,” while Variety described it as “One of the Most Exciting Concert Films You’ve Ever Seen.” EPiC features long-lost footage and treasured 8mm film from the Graceland archive, letting Elvis tell ‘his side of the story,’.
With EPiC, Luhrmann transforms unearthed archival material into an electrifying cinematic odyssey that captures Elvis at his best; raw, human, eccentrically humorous, intimate and electric.
Graceland will host the first advanced U.S. screenings of 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' on Thursday, January 8, 2026 Elvis' birthday.
The Australian Premiere is 7 February 2026 at the 2026 AACTA festival (Australian Oscars) on the Gold Coast. (News, Source;Various/EIN)
Wednesday 19 November 2025
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' Graceland Premiere: Graceland is excited to announce that we will be hosting the first advanced US screenings of Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert on January 8.
What an amazing way to celebrate the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s birthday!
From Sony Music Vision, Bazmark, Authentic Studios and NEON, EPiC features long-lost footage from Presley’s legendary Las Vegas residency in the 1970s, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour, and precious 8mm from the Graceland archive, plus recordings of Elvis telling “his side of the story” rediscovered during Luhrmann’s research for his Best Picture Oscar-nominated 2022 film Elvis.
Fans will be limited to two tickets total across both screenings.
'EPiC' 7 Feb 2026 Australian Premiere: Announced today the 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' Australian Premiere is '7 February 2026' - presented at the 2026 AACTA festival (Australian Oscars) on the Gold Coast.
Baz Luhrmann filmed 'ELVIS' and edited 'EPiC' at the Gold Coast film studios.
Promoted as the "stellar red-carpet Australian Premiere of 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' the groundbreaking new cinematic experience from visionary director Baz Luhrmann, created right here on the Gold Coast.
Fresh from rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, EPiC reimagines the power and presence of Elvis Presley for a new generation, blending cutting edge technology with electrifying concert footage, a full orchestra and Baz’s unmistakable cinematic flair.
This is Elvis as you have never seen or heard him before.
Drawn from newly unearthed footage the film places audiences on stage and in the room with Elvis at the height of his powers. Just pure performance and Elvis in his own words revealing the entertainer, the musician, and the man behind the icon.
Following the screening, stay for an exclusive in conversation with the filmmakers, offering a behind the scenes look at how this landmark production was brought to life. “One of the most exciting concert films you’ll ever see…”
'EPiC' gets Neon / Universal Pictures distribution: Variety reports that 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' has been procured by Neon and Universal Pictures for domestic and international rights, respectively.
Neon will release the film theatrically in the US and Universal Pictures International will release the film internationally in 2026.
Neon is an independent company but has distributed box-office hits such as 'Parasite', 'Anatomy of a Fall', 'Longlegs' and 'Anora'.
From Sony Music Vision, Bazmark and Authentic Studios, Baz Luhrmann’s “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Luhrmann said, “From the first day my editor, Jonathan Redmond, and I encountered this rare and never-before-seen footage of Elvis almost 8 years ago, it has been our mission that Elvis should finally fulfil his unrealised dream to tour around the world.
Along with our incredible partners at Authentic Studios and Sony Music Vision, we created an experience that is not just a documentary and not just a concert film; it’s ‘EPiC.’
Now, I could not be more thrilled that our passion is matched by Neon and Universal, who will ensure this film will be seen from local cinemas in small towns, to the biggest screens in the biggest cities in the world. I personally can’t wait to TCB and take this show on the road.” (News, Source;Variety/EIN)
Ernst Jorgensen Talks about 'EPiC': From our friends at Elvis Day-By-Day and interesting discussion about Baz Luhrmann's new film.
.. "During the 'Elvis Presley Weekend' at Memphis Mansion in Denmark, RCA's Ernst Jorgensen did a surprise appearance and talked about the new 'EPiC Elvis Presley in Concert' movie, followed by a short Q&A with the audience, "Ernst tells the story like never before". Thanks to Anthony Stuchbury.
- Jorgensen explains the "biggest thrill" of 'EPiC'
- Do FTD have audio from Las Vegas August 14 1970 performance?
- Were there six Elvis On Tour concerts filmed - as has been recently rumoured?
- What was the most exciting new footage found? (News, Source;ElvisDayByDay/AS)
'Discover ELVIS' Baz Luhrmann Auction: The new auction "Discover ELVIS: The EPiC Vision of Baz Luhrmann" is a partnership with Joopiter auctions. The sale features rare artifacts from his 2022 film ELVIS, alongside once-in-a-lifetime experiences - that offer a window into his creative world and process.
Luhrmann notes, "I have creative milestones, with 'ELVIS' and most recently 'EPiC' it was something truly epic. Working alongside my team and Peter Jackson’s team, we took material that had never been seen before and shaped it into a poetic dream of Elvis telling his own story in his own words.
My creative life has always been a story of objects, talismans, symbols, tactile things
used to create. These objects have been kept, curated, and held onto. I realized I didn’t want them hidden away in cupboards or stored in trailers.
Included in the memorabilia, which also features guitars from the movie, is the stunning unique Mouawad'black and gold belt with precious stones' that was crafted for Luhrmann as a good-luck talisman for the film’s Cannes premiere, it also appears in 'ELVIS' opening credits.
The 'One-of-a-Kind 'Elvis' Belt" has an Estimate of US$120,000 - 160,000 with bidding now at US$80,000
- Go here to check out the auction. - Runs to OCTOBER 16. (News, Source;EIN)
Monday 22 September 2025
Luhrmann bringing ‘EPiC' to Australia?: Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s continues his obsession with the King of Rock-n-Roll with his new film 'EPiC'. Rolling Stone suggests that Baz Luhrmann’s new Elvis concert film could be making its way to Australia soon. 'EPiC' recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and features a wealth of never-before-seen footage. “The movie is a revelation, because for 96 minutes it shows you just how intoxicating Elvis Presley was when he began to perform live in Las Vegas in 1969 and the early ’70s.”
Luhrmann originally planned to incorporate the footage of this Elvis era into the Austin Butler-starring 2022 film 'ELVIS', but ultimately decided against it.
At the time, he discovered 68 boxes of 35mm and 16mm footage in the Warner Bros. archives, including vast outtakes from the Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour as well as audiotapes of unheard interviews.
Much of the footage was silent and it all needed to be synced up with audio tapes a process that took two years. Working alongside editor Jonathan Redmond, Luhrmann managed to fashion an exquisite concert film out of these raw materials.
Following its premiere at TIFF 2025, Luhrmann teased the possibility of 'EPiC' coming to his home country.
While release plans are still being decided, Luhrmann has promised an event screening in Australia, perhaps at the IMAX theatre in Sydney.
Luhrmann told Variety AU/NZ , “I always try and do something different and I do believe this film needs to have an event component to its release. I make films that are audience participatory. I didn’t come this far to have someone watch it in an iPhone on their way to work.”
Elsewhere in the same interview, Luhrmann praised Elvis, the performer and the man. “That voice, no matter what condition Elvis is in, is never out of tune and he is always spiritual.” I thought they would applaud but I didn’t realise the chain effect. The audience were reacting to him onscreen as if he was actually alive.” (News, Source;RS/EIN)
Tuesday 16 September 2025
'EPiC' IMAX brings Elvis back to life: A neat summary of seeing Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' in big screen IMAX. ...
Danielle Solzman's review included...
.. Think you’ve seen every angle of Elvis Presley on screen? Think again. Unearthing rare, previously unseen footage, Luhrmann spent two years remastering and restoring the material for a fresh cinematic experience. Larger than life on IMAX the result is a dazzling return of Elvis to the big screen, presented as never before, blending intimate moments with iconic performances. IMAX is how the film should be seen. The only drawback? You can’t get up and dance or sing along!
But the energy of the music fills the theater, and there’s nothing quite like experiencing Elvis Presley on the big screen in this immersive way. I was there purely for the musical experience, and my G-d, it delivers.
The film transforms archival footage into a living, breathing tribute, combining classic hits with rare and previously unseen performances. 'Get Back's Peter Jackson’s influence on restoration and post-production work is evident as Park Road Post Production meticulously cleaned and restored 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm footage, bringing archival material to life in unprecedented clarity.
Key sequences come from six nights of Elvis’s TTWII 1970 Las Vegas residency, alongside material from his 1972 summer tour.
Together, these performances capture Elvis at the peak of his career, as well as during a period of reinvention following the 1968 Comeback Special.
But 'EPiC' goes beyond just concerts: previously unheard audio of Elvis discussing his life and music is woven throughout the film, creating a dreamscape presentation.
And bringing 'EPiC' to the screen was not just a matter of cleaning film. The team also uncovered numerous 16-track audio recordings, which had to be meticulously synced to match the visuals. This involved lip-reading and assistance from Warner Bros.
Everything was edited under the steady hand of Baz Luhrmann’s longtime collaborator, Jonathan Redmond. The result is a seamless fusion of image and sound, where every note, every gesture, and every glance of Elvis is amplified for the big screen.
Musically it is a feast. Over 70 songs appear in the film, spanning Vegas shows, tours, rehearsals, and classic recordings. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is less about biography and more about the music, the performance, and the magic of Elvis Presley. Every restored frame, every note, every cover feels like a gift to fans old and new.
It’s a celebration of the King’s artistry, captured in a way that only IMAX can fully deliver - and it’s nothing short of spectacular.
If you are in a position to see this on the big screen, you will not regret it.
- - - (go here to 'solzyatthemovies' for the full review. (News, Source;DS/ElvisInfoNet)
Sunday 14 September 2025
'EPiC' ELVIS Success: After its massive success at the Toronto Film Festival, Baz Luhrmann's new 'EPiC' ELVIS movie moves to the Zurich Film Festival in the 'Sounds' section "a carefully curated selection of feature films and documentaries in which music plays a central role". The Zurich Film Festival is from September 25 to Oct 5, 2025.
Baz Luhrmann recently posted..
.."Thank you Toronto for the love and support for EPiC ����
The demand for tickets so far has been incredible, 4 sold out screenings!
Because of you, the TIFF fans, TIFF has added an additional IMAX screening… EPiC will be back bringing Elvis to the big screen once again!"
Interview with Baz Luhrmann about ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’: The Ankler’s (Hollywood’s insider newsletter) presents a 17 minute interview with ‘EPiC' director Baz Luhrmann.
In a great discussion Luhrmann talks about the excitement of the premiere, how he decided to let Elvis tell his own story, working with Peter Jackson on the audio, the wonder of Elvis' vocal, the IMAX version, and how several platforms are interested in distributing the movie. It's a delightful interview.
(News, Source; Ankler/ ElvisInfoNet)
'EPiC' review and TIFF after-party with Paul Sweeney: Elvis super-fan Paul Sweeney talks with EAP Society Jamie Kelley and John Michael Heath, about his experience of being at the TIFF 'EPiC' premiere and after-party.
He talks about meeting both Baz Luhrmann and editor Jonathan Redmond - and possible future projects.
He mentions exciting new highlights such as the gospel round the piano ‘Closer My God To Thee’, the incredible ‘Oh Happy Day’, never before see ‘Runaway’ in rehearsal, and the brilliant updated quality of the ‘On Tour’ material.
Interestingly the IMAX version has also been shown.
Some companies are already talking with Baz Luhrmann about distribution deals – but obviously nothing has been decided yet. And Luhrmann may do more since Elvis is “in his blood” and he mentions that he has the complete Hampton Roads performance on film.
The discussion runs over two hours but is well-worth watching. (News, Source;EAP Society)
Tuesday 9 September 2025
“EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” More great reviews: The great publicity for Baz Luhrmann's new film 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' continues with very positive reviews.
On the 'NextBestPicture' movie website it gets 9/10
The review includes...
...During his era Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant much to many from the generations born after The Beatles. When rock music shifted to writer/performers it was those following on from Beatlemania and the Woodstock-era that shaped for decades this mode of popular music. Yet following his famous ’68 “comeback” special, and the storied residence in Las Vegas, Elvis thrilled fans with his high energy antics, seductive stylings, and sweaty jumpsuits. Baz Luhrmann, along with his long-time collaborator and editor Jonathan Redmond, have crafted an absolutely sublime celebration of Elvis at his rhinestone-festooned, TCB gold sunglasses late stage in his career. Drawing from over 60 hours of concert footage dug out from an archive buried deep in a mountain, the so-called King has never looked more royal.
Elvis was always an interpreter of songs rather than a craftsperson, emerging from an era where the pros wrote the songs and the legends took to center stage to perform. This is how the likes of more contemporary tunes like Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” composition are allowed to shine in a slightly oleaginous but nonetheless genuine, prayerful take by Presley. Classic tunes and torch songs are performed
throughout, and an electric “Suspicious Minds” displays the man’s almost manic energy, giving his all to make his audiences enthralled.
Luhrmann’s earlier 2022 contribution to revitalizing Elvis’ stature in popular culture did wonders in displaying the man’s charisma, and there are times where one is reminded about just how exceptional Austin Butler was in “ELVIS” when wearing the pantsuits. Even an actor with the physical gifts of Butler pales in comparison to the electric, almost feline beauty of young Presley. With the restored footage, his smile, glinting eyes framed by long eyelashes, and swagger provide an amplified view of why so many fell so hard for the very spectacle of the man when seen on person, on TV, or on the big screen.
Yet the most powerful thing that “EPiC” does is exposing the pure musicianship of the man. Backstage moments where the band is working up arrangements are truly exceptional, as we witness the monster players re-craft the songs under Presley’s active contribution. We’re witness to several miscues and goofs, all in the process of rehearsing for perfection, and these moments both humanize the man and also speak to his far more sophisticated musical mind than many may attribute. Similarly, Luhrmann and Redmond have gone to great lengths to ensure that this is Elvis himself telling Elvis’ story. Audio recordings of the man, often unguarded and
self-critical, are interspersed with the same level of editorial skill as the many musical sequences. The result is an intimate portrait unlike any other, providing a perfect introduction for those unaware of anything save the broad strokes of the man’s career, but equally providing many in depth ruminations (capped with extremely clever visual pairings) to evoke the triumphs and travails of the man’s time on Earth, which will surprise even the most die hard fans.
The project could have simply been a restoration of the two concert films that make up the bulk of the footage but Luhrmann and Redmond have amplified the footage into something far more extraordinary than “merely” the amazing concert performances. “EPiC” dives as deeply into the man behind the stage as it does to the one prancing in front of the crowds, and it’s this magical combination that makes this easily one of the most thrilling, extraordinary musical films of this era. People were cheering between songs and dancing in the aisles during the premiere and to see this on the big screen makes for something as close to being at the residency as is possible a half century later.
Certain to energize longtime fans and generate new ones for generations to come, “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is a masterwork of montage. It’s a definitive doc that gives the sense of how the artist changed popular music, but also about how at his core he was a man with a powerful voice and a zealous need to entertain. The King is dead, it’s true. But thanks to Baz and his team, the King is allowed to live long into the future, his crown burnished to shine just as brightly for years to come.
- - - Oscar Prospects- Best Documentary Feature - Final Score 9/10
The New York Post review included...
...For those who do not have a room in the house devoted to Elvis memorabilia, or care a lick about the guy, 'EPiC' is still an energizing experience. If you’re on the fence now, you’ll walk away believing Elvis was, indeed, one of the greats.
His soulfulness, funny improvised banter, full-mouthed makeouts with pretty fans and his rock-solid pipes are all on glorious display. And fascinating behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage shows how surprisingly smart and musically agile Elvis could be.
There is an indescribable magic in watching the star conjure a crowd’s hysteria. And because the video is so crystal clear and crisp, his aura bursts through the screen as if it’s a window.
In this stage of his career, Luhrmann keeps doing right by The King. His Best Picture-nominated “ELVIS” starring Austin Butler, did a vital service to the legacy of Presley, who’d been unfairly turned into a paunchy punchline since his death. That sexy, galvanizing film reminded older generations, and educated younger ones, that Elvis was a controversial, culture-shaking, barrier-busting, rabble-rousing, singular musical force.
Epic is the word. And “EPiC” has done so again. .... 'Spin' Music magazine included
.. Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, needs a subtitle, like “Why Elvis Was The King.”
The Elvis busts, Elvis impersonators, velvet Elvis, Elvis weddings,
and how he died at age 42, has overshadowed a simple indisputable fact: Elvis was one-of-a-kind, extraordinarily handsome, cool, charismatic, funny, and an amazing singer, arranger and song interpreter from gospels to the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel. No Elvis impersonator, not even Austin Butler, comes close. Sorry. 'EPiC' is that reminder.
The film proved so electrifying in places, the audience erupted into applause and some even stood up and danced.
Luhrmann is clearly on a mission to replace our image of the hokey Elvis with the reason he became such an icon: magnetism and musicianship.
- - - See full reviews here >> N-B-P / NewYorkPost / SPIN (News, Source;Various/ElvisInfoNet)
Monday 8 September 2025
‘EPiC' Elvis Documentary Is One of the Most Exciting Concert Films You’ve Ever Seen": The first reviews are in from the Toronto Film Festival and as expected they are super-positive.
Variety's review includes..
..Think back to the greatest concert you ever saw, it could be Springsteen or U2 or the Stones, or Lady Gaga or the Ramones, or Taylor Swift or in my case two concerts from the ’80s (Prince and X) and one from the 2000s (Madonna). Now think back to the greatest moment in that concert, the one that gave you chills you can still feel. That’s the kind of experience I predict you’ll have watching “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” an extraordinary new documentary by Baz Luhrmann, the director of “Elvis.” The movie is a revelation, because for 96 minutes it shows you just how intoxicating Elvis Presley was when he began to perform live in Las Vegas in 1969 and the early ’70s. Many don’t quite think of him that way. There’s still a mythology hanging over Elvis during this period, the Vegas glitter, the white suit with the half-sun cape, the giant finger rings and the car-grille sunglasses, the “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”-from-“2001” bombastic musical intros, the sweat pouring off his shag-carpet sideburns, the onstage karate moves. It can all add up to a vision of the king of rock ‘n’ roll presiding over a kingdom of kitsch.
Elvis, in the early ’70s, was still relatively lean and mean, and still incandescent to look at. He was in his regal mid-thirties, with those sexy dimples and one of the greatest heads of hair in rock history. And that voice! His tremolo vibrato made every note into a pearly gem.
Seven years ago, when “Bohemian Rhapsody” came out, I went back and watched a lot of footage of Queen in concert, because
I wanted to key into Freddie Mercury, who is now universally thought of as one of the most electrifying performers in the history of rock & he deserves that reputation. But I’m here to testify that he’s about one-third as electrifying as Elvis was in the early ’70s. The power of Elvis’s voice remained undiminished, it soared, it quavered, it caressed, it boomed, it rocked, it hit every note with singular beauty. And though he would sometimes flirt with comedy in his moves, and didn’t jiggle the way he did in 1956, the way he held and moved his body still possessed a flamboyant erotic eloquence. Diving into this treasure trove of unseen performances, working with the editor Jonathan Redmond, Luhrmann has fashioned a streamlined and exquisitely paced concert film. Narrated by Elvis (from the interview clips), it incorporates rehearsal footage from when he was getting ready to play Vegas for the very first time at the International Hotel (offstage, we see what a perfectionist Elvis could be, and also what a charmingly modest and gregarious hang-out buddy), and it interpolates numerous performances from his Vegas residency, almost all of them from the early ’70s.
The movie warms up with the rehearsal footage, where we see him, in a blindingly colorful super-psychedelic shirt, do haunting renditions of the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and “Something,” and also Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.” We hear Elvis talk about how he cherishes all kinds of music, how as a teenager he would listen to Mario Lanza and the Metropolitan Opera. The “soft” side of Elvis has always been major. But shortly after that, he’s onstage singing “That’s All Right,” and the reason it doesn’t feel like
nostalgia is that the song’s velocity is ramped up, it now sounds like a bullet train.
He sings “Polk Salad Annie” with a gritty momentum worthy of Tina Turner, and in a very cool hybrid he segues back and forth between “Little Sister” and “Get Back.” And in a sequence guaranteed to give you those chills, we see him perform “Burning Love,” one of his two greatest songs from that era, for the very first time (he’s still reading the lyrics off a sheet of paper), and it just about burns the house down. “EPiC” climaxes with a surly-sublime version of “Suspicious Minds” an indescribably great song that could almost be the battle hymn of a republic that had attained a 50 percent divorce rate. And when the movie is over, you want to applaud the showmanship: Elvis’s, and also Baz Luhrmann’s. He reveres Elvis too much to let any excessive flash get in the way. There’s a purity and natural-born dazzle to “EPiC.” What you see is what you get: Elvis in the raw, driven by the awareness that it doesn’t get any better than that.
.... See Variety full review here
... The UK Guardian review includes.. ... Elvis is of course a tailor-made subject for Luhrmann, the Moulin Rouge director’s trademark bombast and razzle dazzle so in tune with the singer’s rattle and roll, which comes through in both his biopic and now 'EPiC'. The latter, Luhrmann says, is neither a documentary nor a concert film. Actually, it’s pretty much both of those things, but with an obvious slant, which the director accounts for by explaining “the storyteller is Elvis himself”. There are no talking heads here, just excerpts from Elvis’s interviews offering a running
commentary over unearthed footage that shows off what an electric performer he was, even during a 70s Las Vegas residency when some may assume he was washed up. Elvis is a hypnotic stage presence, even when just mumbling off sounds with his deep baritone while swiveling his hips, the dexterity in his voice unhindered by antics like swallowing a mic whole. The larger than life spectacle of his performances, backed by an all white band while his Black backup singers remain off to the side, are nicely tempered by Elvis’s easy-going, tenderly flippant charm. It’s just as entertaining watching him lay on his back and keep the audience hanging off his pillowtalk as it is watching his mesmerizing seizure-like moves. Luhrmann even slows down his typically aggressive editing styles to take it all in, only revving things up by cutting to different angles when in tempo with his king.
Fans at the world premiere in Toronto were getting up and dancing in the aisles during the big numbers like Burning Love.
The director gets most of his kaleidoscopic visual kinks off in the blistering prologue, when he sets the stage for the Vegas shows by frenetically recapping Elvis’s life and career up to that point. Your favourite photo collage and TikTok remix apps have nothing on everything Luhrmann throws at the screen when the movie covers Elvis’s hits, his run-ins with the law for obscenity, his Korean War years and the Hollywood career that made him feel alienated from his own popular image.
... Go here for full Guardian review (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
'Baz Luhrmann discusses “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” at the world premiere in Toronto':
Thanks to 'CC Rider' fans can watch a fascinating 30 minute discussion with director Baz Luhrmann about his new film and the long journey to get to this Elvis premiere.
His editor Jonathan Redmond also talks about how they put it together. They found 59 hours of footage in the MGM vaults
(News, Source;EIN)
- With thanks to Ed Gibbs
"Luhrmann’s new film crowns ‘the King’":Australia's Sydney Morning Herald declared, "Baz Luhrmann’s new film crowns ‘The King'".
Baz Luhrmann’s new Elvis film 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' has premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to a standing ovation, closing the loop on a journey that began for the filmmaker when he was developing his critically acclaimed 2022 biopic ELVIS.
The new film, a blend of documentary, concert film and narrated autobiography, was assembled from unearthed fragments of archival material believed lost.
Luhrmann described the project as a collaboration with film editor Jonathan Redmond, the result is a 96-minute film that explores a period in Elvis' life which, despite his cultural ubiquity, is perhaps also deeply misunderstood. “He wanted to go to Vegas, and they really thought he was going to do a nostalgia show, you know, just do the ’50s numbers and all of that, but Elvis wouldn’t have a part of it,” Luhrmann said. “Elvis wanted a big sound. He wanted to take a song that Simon & Garfunkel did and make it his own. Bridge Over Troubled Water is an amazing song, but when Elvis takes it, it’s an amazing prayer.”
The Toronto International Film Festival is marking its 50th anniversary and unsurprisingly, the reaction to EPiC: Elvis in Concert at the weekend was overwhelmingly positive.
But Luhrmann was hesitant to draw parallels between himself and Presley, gently dismissing the notion that they both possess showman-like qualities. “Showmanship can sometimes be misunderstood, because when you see Elvis, one thing that I’m really sure you can see is that he’s also a very spiritual person. So if you go into a gospel church, or a spiritual
place, there’s a degree of theatricality that also comes with a way of bringing an audience into ... a spiritual unity.
You can sometimes go into the heart to go to the brain, or you can go into the brain to come to the heart, right? But the thing you try and do is bring them both along. So I like to think that even though I make shows, they’re made for audience participation.
They are made as showmanship, some people call it razzle-dazzle, but then right in the middle of it, I like to flip it and say, yes, but it is about something. Whether that’s about growth through pain or impossible love, it is about something.”
An Australian release date for the film has not yet been announced.
- - - - Go here to SMH for full article (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Baz Luhrmann and ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert’:Deadline USA has posted a lengthy interview with director Baz Luhrmann about his love of Elvis and why he made ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert’ after his 2022 drama.
The highlights include.. Baz Luhrmann: As a kid, I had some Elvis fandom for sure, I did love him. But then I went on to Bowie and Elton and people like that... But in doing the movie, I was reminded how much Elvis was in my mind as an influence. The reason I really chose Elvis as a subject was that as a canvas, he really reflected America’s journey like ’50s and beyond. I still have trouble explaining to young people now, or even audiences just how scary Elvis was to the previous generation who had come home from the war, didn’t want any more noise, or anymore battles. They wanted to move to the suburbs and live The Dick Van Dyke Show. Elvis was like the devil. It’s so not an exaggeration considering his growing up in and around Black music, his physicality, his overt
sexuality and his attitude. He and James Dean were essentially twins. One being an actor, one being a musical star and an actor too. Elvis admired Dean, he said James Dean was a genius. I’ll never be as good as him, but they both scared the adults. And then what happens is that after the army service he was driven very much by Parker’s idea to make him a family entertainer. And that’s all those 60's films.
.. We had a tiny little cinema in our Aussie country town and we loved our Elvis matinees. I thought he was the coolest. But it turned him numb as it made him the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. He was the first actor to get a million bucks a picture, but it made him numb, in a river of money. And then suddenly boom, something happens which I try and hint at.
John Redmond, who I’ve been editing with for 22 years, we were really creative partners on this because it is found footage, I didn’t shoot the footage. And he brings a lot of the poetry to it. We tried not to be too didactic, but more, that’s why I say, and I can’t underline this enough, I say it’s EPiC. Elvis is fully present in concert, Elvis sings and tells his story like never before. I say it’s not a documentary and it’s not a concert film. It’s EPiC.
What I really mean is if you would ask me, honestly, it’s a kind of tone poem on the person and the performer himself. Deadline: Including the delay when Hanks became the first major star to go down with Covid, how many years did you live in full Elvis immersion to make that original film? Baz L: I’ve been going back through old photo files and found notes about Elvis even around Moulin Rouge time, so it’s over 20 years ago. But in terms of seriously, John Redmond and I made an Elvis reel of found footage and when we started finding footage, we always thought, gee, if we do the Elvis film, we must make something like EPiC. And that reel was made seven years ago.
Deadline: We saw how long it took Austin Butler to stop talking and moving like Elvis after his long immersion. What was the most compelling thing that brought you back for more after you too had shed Elvis? Baz L: Responsibility? It’s hard to be clear about this because you have a lot of Elvis fans out there. That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour - there’s a lot of bootleg material out there. But when I went to make the Elvis film, I had the money and the resources to go into the salt mines that are in Kansas and look for these rumored negatives. And we found more than we imagined. I wanted to try and reconstitute it for some of the big Vegas stuff, but it turned out it was better for me just to build the sets. And I hadn’t been prepared for the level of craft and absorption and commitment that Austin brought to being Elvis, when I thought, I should use the real Elvis. There were a few snippets of the real concert in my movie, but now I’ve found all of these reels of negatives, with no sound. It’s very important to say no sound right?
But I go, well, I can have them all put back into the salt mines and you’d never know. Some of the footage has never been seen before because they shoot six nights of concerts at the MGM and some of it’s 8 mm that had never been seen. The stuff you saw of him in the gold suit in Hawaii, that comes from the archives in Graceland. What do I do? I think, I can’t just reheat up and yet another version of Elvis TTWII or Elvis On Tour. So it took so long to digitize, to print, digitize lip read, to work out what he’s actually saying, and then find old VHS’s or our work prints and scrape back the vocals. Most of it is Elvis’ original vocal from stage. And definitely Ronnie Tutt the drummer, his drumming was recorded well, as was the guitarists but some of the voices, and strings or brass we had to re-record.
After all, this is not to be a documentary in the sense of we just used exactly what was on stage.
That was not possible, so what we made is a sort of cinematic poem. Deadline: What does that mean? Baz L: What if Elvis was here now, what would it sound like? And the most important thing I’m just about to go and sign off on the IMAX version. You’ll never have seen Elvis in Vegas or on tour at this scale, onscreen, at this quality sound level. So the money has really been put into, like we say, EPiC. Elvis sings and tells his story like never before. We also found some previously unreleased recordings of him telling his story and we use a lot of preexisting stuff that people would know, but a lot of him saying things that an interview was about a 50-minute interview that had never come out of the vault before. That was shot when he was on tour, audio only. Deadline: Who gives you’re the needed permissions to wade through the Graceland archives? Baz L: People assume that Graceland, the estate owns and controls Elvis, but actually it’s split up into several layers. Elvis’ image and the Elvis name is owned by a group called Authentic Brands, but the other part of history is that Warner Bros owns the Elvis MGM movies, That's The Way It is and Elvis On Tour. So actually it’s the MGM vault that is in the salt mines. Warners gave permission because I’m working with them, and I was making Elvis with Warners, and it costs a lot of money, man. There is stuff in those vaults you wouldn’t believe, but it costs so much money to go into the sealed vaults to bring it out to dry the negative, to run the negative. You have to get the old machines. I think we had someone on it for two years just going through negative and printing. And then Sony Vision is the real producer but there's also RCA, Elvis’ label.
Ad then in the end, when I was at Graceland, Lisa Marie controlled who goes in and out and she gave me the great privilege of access to areas other people are not allowed into, including the upstairs area, which is a gift. And that I’ll always cherish, I’ll always cherish. And now that responsibility has fallen to Riley Keough. Aside from being the granddaughter of Elvis, she’s a fantastic young actor, singer and filmmaker. Deadline: You mention the movies numbed Elvis. What did he want out of Hollywood besides a paycheck? Why weren’t the movies better? Baz L: Elvis was a movie usher as a kid. He saw Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove seven times. His greatest love was to book out the theater and watch movies, over and over and his movie tastes were really quite extraordinary. He was a huge Kubrick fan. And do you know why we have “Thus Spake Zarathustra” at the beginning of his show? It was from 2001: A Space Odyssey. He was a mad movie fan. And let me tell you something. If you look at his early films his acting is very good. And as he says in our documentary, “When I went to Hollywood, I really thought they’d give me a chance at doing a serious role.” And he tried to. But one thing that The Colonel was really aware of was that if you have Elvis sing in a movie, you make a river of money. Nobody really wanted to see Elvis, they wanted to hear him. The Colonel took care of all the business, and they got so bad. And as he says in this movie, he said, you couldn’t have paid me more money to feel less satisfaction.
He became self-loathing about it. There were times when they stopped even making new music. They just find what they had around. He didn’t even read the scripts. He just turned up and did them. Some of the early ones are fun and good, like Blue Hawaii. I think Viva Las Vegas is fun, and Ann-Margret and he had real electricity. But they get so silly and he gets so self-loathing, he just doesn’t really care. And that is why he goes back to the audience after eight years. He says, 'I got to show people what I can do'. He actually says that. I’m not a joke. I started out as a unique creature. I have to try to find my way back to that.
Deadline: Was there a role he really wanted only to have The Colonel get in his way? Baz L; The big moment was A Star Is Born. The possible partnership between Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley fell apart. There’s no question that The Colonel didn’t really help that along. But the thing about Colonel … he wasn’t like this villain that’s traditional. He was funny, charismatic and unbelievably manipulative, and he also could always suck the air out of any room. He was never in the room that he didn’t suck the air out of it.
Some see The Colonel as just this two-dimensional villain; he was actually a clown with a chainsaw, but he was also a business genius. A manager actually looks after the person and makes sure that the artist is flourishing, is going to have longevity and choices. The Colonel also had a gambling addiction. He sold the catalog to RCA in desperation. One thing I will tell you though, and I hope we get it from the movie, is that people wonder about the spirit of Elvis and the kind of person he really is. Nobody wanted him to record “In the Ghetto.” Even his closest allies said don’t do that. It’s too political, right? But he did do it. He sings, “Walk a Mile In My Shoes,” that poem about “if you could be me for one hour,” he sings. Don’t judge others. Try and see it from their point of view. I hope that the underlying feeling you get is we see Elvis - because he’s really good looking and he’s really incredible on stage. He never rehearsed dance moves. I learned this from Mick Jagger. Jagger said to me, the thing about Elvis is I would say, okay, I’m going to practice this step. And Michael Jackson, brilliant dancer, would practice the step.
Elvis, never stood in front of the mirror and practice steps. He said, well, I just feel it out there. He’s almost like in a spiritual state now on stage, so confident and so in control, and so at ease. But off stage, he was still that very insecure little boy from the poorest of the poor part of Tupelo, whose father went to jail.. whose mother had to leave in the middle of the night
and change locations. And who never, ever felt quite good enough and was looking for, I think, the affirmation of unconditional love, and the only unconditional love Elvis probably felt came across the footlights.
- - - - - - - Go here to Deadline for the full interview (News, Source;Deadline/ElvisInfoNet)
Monday 1 September 2025
'Baz Luhrmann’s 'EPiC' Elvis Presley in Concert' Tickets: Amazingly there are still a few tickets still available for Baz Luhrmann’s 'EPiC' Elvis Presley in Concert premiere at Toronto Film Festival this Saturday September 6. Saturday Sep 6, 2:45pm at the Visa Screening Room, Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto.
.. Brilliantly compiled with an aficionado’s enthusiasm and sensitivity, the film shifts skilfully between rehearsals, where Presley is cheerful, hard-working, even goofy, and live performances that vary from powerful and grandiose to rushed. There are moments where he can’t keep up with the breakneck arrangements and loses his breath.
Among the standouts are 'Polk Salad Annie' and 'Burning Love' a 1972 chart-topper. There are also cutaways to an army of excited celebrities attending the shows and a nod to Presley’s journey from scandalous hip-shaker to showbiz icon.
In 'EPiC' Luhrmann’s focus lands on Elvis’ musicianship and his interactions with band members and singers. 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. This is perhaps the most poignant account of Presley to date.
'EPiC' Elvis Presley In Concert World' Premiere: Baz Luhrmann has announced the 'EPiC' Elvis Presley In Concert World' Premiere will be at the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF on 6th Sept in the Princess Of Wales Theatre!
As he notes.... "Oh, It’s a happy day…"
(News, Source;BazReels/EIN)
Described as ... Brilliantly compiled with an aficionado’s enthusiasm and sensitivity, the film shifts skilfully between rehearsals, where Presley is cheerful, hard-working, even goofy, and live performances that vary from powerful and grandiose to rushed. There are moments where he can’t keep up with the breakneck arrangements and loses his breath.
Among the standouts are 'Polk Salad Annie' and 'Burning Love' a 1972 chart-topper. There are also cutaways to an army of excited celebrities attending the shows and a nod to Presley’s journey from scandalous hip-shaker to showbiz icon.
In 'EPiC' Luhrmann’s focus lands on Elvis’ musicianship and his interactions with band members and singers. 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. This is perhaps the most poignant account of Presley to date.
Saturday 9 August 2025
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' at TIFF: The Toronto International Film Festival has posted about 'Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' World Premiere at TIFF in September. Baz Luhrmann’s extraordinary documentary may be the most poignant account of Elvis Presley’s life and career to date, featuring long-lost footage from his epochal 1970s residency in Las Vegas.
No date as yet - 'Our full schedule will be released on August 12' Elvis sings and tells his story like never before. It’s cause for celebration ⚡️a little less conversation and a little more action on the night!
Go here to TIFF to check schedule. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Tuesday 22 July 2025
'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' September World Premiere: Baz Luhrmann announced today that 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' world premiere will be at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) September 4–14, 2025.
Luhrmann, director of the massively successful 'ELVIS' biopic posted.. “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” World Premiere at TIFF in Sept… 7 wks and counting!!
We’re very proud to announce Bazmark’s latest production, with Authentic Studios and Sony Music Vision - Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert - Elvis sings and tells his story like never before - has been officially selected for Toronto International Film Festival’s 50th edition. It’s cause for celebration ⚡️a little less conversation and a little more ̶a̶̶c̶̶t̶̶i̶̶o̶̶n̶ party on the night!! #tiff50"
The film marks a new chapter in the ongoing preservation of Elvis' legacy. During the production of Luhrmann’s 2022 ELVIS biopic he discovered a treasure trove of previously unseen material. These included original film negatives, 8mm footage, and rare audio recordings from Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972). Over the past two years, the footage has undergone extensive restoration to enhance both visual and sound quality.
Luhrmann has described 'EPiC' not as a traditional documentary or concert film, but as something entirely unique. The project blends the newly restored footage with audio of Elvis himself narrating his own story.
The film is designed to offer deeper insight into Elvis’s inner life and artistry, set against a backdrop of both his iconic music and contemporary tracks.
TIFF’s selection of 'EPiC' confirms Luhrmann's artistic value, as well as the industry interest. The festival is known for premiering major works that often go on to define the cultural conversation.
The worldwide theatrical release will be hopefully late 2025 - it would be a great Boxing day release - or possibly early 2026. - More news to follow - Click for high-res image (News, Source;BL/ElvisInfoNet)
Monday 21 July 2025
'EPiC' Special Announcement tomorrow: Baz Luhrmann has posted a great teaser about a major announcement tomorrow for his new documentary film 'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert.
Luhrmann states... 'News tomorrow 10am and it's an 'EPiC' one!.
He has previously confirmed that...
.. We had researchers go into the Warners Bros. film vaults in underground salt mines and, to the astonishment of all, we uncovered 68 boxes of That’s The Way It Is and Elvis on Tour film negative, as well as unseen 8mm footage. It has taken two years to restore the footage to a quality that it has never been projected at previously. One of the great finds has been unheard recordings of Elvis talking about his life and his music. It was this that gave the inspiration for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, which is not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film: Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “gold jacket” performance in Hawaii. Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.”
.. More news here tomorrow
(News, Source;BazLuhrmann/EIN)
Thursday 5 June 2025
'ELVIS PRESLEY In CONCERT' Baz Luhrmann movie:'ELVIS' director Baz Luhrmann has posted more info about the new Elvis movie that he has been working on. (click for high-res)
He wrote about his recent Sony Showcase launch..
.. What an experience last night at the Sony Music Vision Content Showcase! Starting with a wonderful sneak of the Barbra Streisand project by Frank Marshall and a dazzling Lisa documentary by Sue Kim.
But of course, the one and only ELVIS closing out the show to rapturous applause!! 'EPiC' rocked the house - I thought I’d
share with you all what I said last night…
During the making of ELVIS, we went on a search for rumored unseen footage from the iconic 1970s concert films Elvis: That’s The Way It Is and Elvis on Tour. My initial thought was that we may be able to restore the unused footage (if we could find it) and use it in our Elvis feature, starring Austin Butler. I had researchers go into the Warners Bros. film vaults buried in underground salt mines and, to the astonishment of all, we uncovered 68 boxes of film negative, as well as unseen 8mm footage. It has taken two years to restore the footage to a quality that it has never been projected at previously, while the team had to meticulously claw back sound from the many, unconventional sources that were also unearthed.
One of the great finds has been unheard recordings of Elvis talking about his life and his music. It was this that gave the inspiration for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, which is not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film: Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “gold jacket” performance in Hawaii.
Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.”
No release date has been suggested as yet (News, Source;Baz/EIN)
Wednesday 21 May 2025
Baz Luhrmann New Elvis Doco:'ELVIS' movie director Baz Luhrmann has posted a nice 1957 screen-shot from Elvis' performance at Honolulu Stadium, Hawaii, November 10, 1957. Elvis gave two performances to around 15,000 fans.
Baz Luhrmann posted, "Staring at this screen day & night - Can't wait to share it with you!!"
This is great news for Elvis fans, knowing that Luhrmann is examining all this rare footage of Elvis for inclusion in his new documentary.
Earlier he told fans, "We have all been working hard and collaborating on unearthing and showcasing a treasure trove of unseen footage, sound and other materials to create something special for the big (and small) screen⚡️ TCB! EIN Note: Some fans have suggested that Luhrmann has uncovered previously unseen fifties colour footage but this is the same home-movie as has been used by EPE on various 'Hawaii' projects including the display at Graceland (as shown below) (News, Source;BazL/ElvisInfoNet)
Saturday 25 January 2025
Baz Luhrmann Explains more about his new Elvis Documentary: With heightened interest about Luhrmann's future Elvis documentary the director revealed some secrets from outside Graceland and US Deadline also asked him some questions...
Luhrmann was back at Graceland telling all, "I am thrilled to be back in Graceland and to be able to say that it's true, it is very very true.. I can't even begin to tell you what we have found during the making of 'ELVIS', in terms of never before seen concert footage.. and our sleeves are rolled up, we're working hard and we want to make something absolutely unprecedented and special with this material. So it's time, as we like to say, to TCB."
Luhrmann also explained to Deadline, “There has always been talk amongst Elvis’ fans, both longtime fans and newer fans brought in by our film Elvis, of missing reels and never-before-seen concert footage.
"During the making of ELVIS, from very early on in my process I had the privilege to access the studio’s vaults deep in the salt mines of Kansas, where troves of old film negatives are stored. We were astonished by the sheer volume of unused footage from Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, the film of Elvis’ legendary 1970 Summer Festival in Las Vegas, all shot on anamorphic 35mm, and also from Elvis’s road concert film from two years later, 'Elvis On Tour'.
“Equally exciting was that we found not only material that has never been seen in this quality but also rare behind-the-scenes audio that had been feared lost, especially some fascinating recordings of Elvis telling stories from his own life in his own words.”
“We’re still very much in the middle of creating this work, but there has been so much talk and such enthusiasm for this
that I felt now it was time to share what has been happening with it. I can’t say much more about it, except that I wouldn’t call it a documentary, or a concert film; our aim here is to make something new in the Elvis canon.
My creative team at Bazmark is being led by my longtime editor, Jonathan Redmond, and we’ve partnered with the terrific teams at Authentic Studios and Sony Music Vision, with great support from Warner Bros., to bring something to the screen that befits the magnitude of Elvis as a performer but also offers deeper revelations of his humanity and inner life.”
'Bazmark' / Authentic Studios are producing the documentary.
The film will be distributed by Sony Music Vision, in partnership with SONY Legacy Recordings.
See Official Baz Luhrmann Insta announcement here (News, Source;Deadline/BazL/EIN)
Thursday 23 January 2025
Director Baz Luhrmann confirms his new Elvis Documentary: As reported by EIN at Elvis Week 2024 EPE's Joel Weinshanker confirmed that, "Baz Lurhmann is working on his Elvis documentary.There will be one new Elvis movie between now and 2027 possibly two."
Today ELVIS director Baz Luhrmann also confirmed... .. (check insta here) .."I’m really thrilled that I am finally able to announce that we have all been working hard and collaborating on unearthing and showcasing a treasure trove of unseen footage, sound and other materials to create something special for the big and small screen - TCB!"
The trailer states.. After 10 years away from the stage Elvis made his triumphant return in Las Vegas. For over 50 years there have been rumors of lost footage.. During the production of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis it was found... "
Great news for Elvis fans,
More info when we get it (News, Source;BazInsta/ElvisInfoNet)
Sunday 15 December 2024
Baz Luhrmann Elvis Presley Documentary confirmed:Variety reported yesterday that.. Authentic Studios have confirmed that Baz Luhrmann is directing and producing a new documentary about Elvis Presley for them, centered on never-before-seen footage and recordings of Presley that he unearthed while creating his film “ELVIS”.
That’s one of several projects in the works at Authentic Studios, part of the entertainment division of intellectual property brand management firm ABG Authentic Brand Group.
Nearly two years after launching a studio division to produce films and TV series tied to its various intellectual properties, Authentic has already sold 14 projects to various outlets.
Marc Rosen, Authentic’s president of entertainment, explained “The realization for us was that we should create and take this all in house, instead of licensing our IP to somebody else for them to control the product and make the lion’s share of the economics.”
ABG owns the IP to key icons Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali. ABG acquired Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) intellectual property assets back in 2013.
No other details about the documentary were available at present.
Luhrmann is however next directing “Jehanne d’Arc,” the story of Joan of Arc, as part of his deal with Warner Brs.
Authentic also has “Elvis Evolution” launching in London May 2025. (News, Source;Various/ElvisInfoNet)
Thursday 10 October 2024
Baz Luhrmann new film 'Joan of Arc': Sadly no update on Baz Luhrmann's new 'ELVIS' project but the news that he is working on an epic feature about French hero Joan of Arc as his new film.
At this year's Elvis Week Joel Weinshanker confirmed that "Baz Lurhman is working on his Elvis documentary" and that "There will be one new Elvis movie between now and 2027 - possibly two".
Warner Bros, who worked with Luhrmann on 'ELVIS', confirmed his new film will be called 'Jehanne d’Arc' and has been described as “the ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years’ War”.
Joan of Arc is a historical figure who lived from 1412 to 1431. Under what she claimed was divine guidance, the teenage Joan became a military leader and was instrumental in the siege of Orleans. She eventually fell into English custody and was declared a heretic and burned at the stake at the age of 19. Today, Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France and was canonised by the
Catholic church in 1920. Casting for Luhrmann’s new film started last month.
Baz Luhrmann is one of Australia’s best filmmakers having worked on high-budgeted movies including ELVIS, Australia, The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge as well as earlier works Strictly Ballroom and Romeo + Juliet.
Luhrmann had been set to make an adaptation of Russian novel The Master and Margarita but dropped out earlier this year.
With the film only in early pre-production it could easily be 12 months before the 'Jehanne d’Arc' is finished. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)
Wednesday 8 May 2024
Baz Luhrmann teases new "Elvis Concert Film": Good news for Elvis fans when director Baz Luhrmann once again talked about his possible Elvis concert film with Hollywood Reporter at the Met Gala
Once again the 'ELVIS' director hinted he was working on a concert film of never-before-seen footage from the superstar.
At the Met Gala Luhrmann teased that he may not be quite done with Elvis Presley-related projects, following his 2022 film.
The director told Hollywood Reporter,“The fans really want to know if all that footage we found in the vaults is going to become a concert film and I’m here to say I think it’s gonna happen.”
Last October Luhrmann had posted on Instagram that “we’ve found reels and reels of never-before-seen footage of 'Elvis on Tour' and 'That’s The Way It Is',” telling fans to “stay tuned.”
An accompanying video showed a cardboard box with a Warner Bros. label and “Elvis outtakes box”
written on the side. - (see EIN 'ELVIS movie' spotlight)
The director has also previously mentioned an "extended cut" of ELVIS with more of Butler’s performances.
... Fingers crossed as Luhrmann is still talking more ELVIS. (News, Source;HR/ElvisInfoNet)
Tuesday 3 October 2023
Baz Luhrmann announces new "Elvis Unseen Footage" project: While promoting his award-winning ELVIS biopic director Baz Luhrmann often mentioned his placement of snippets of 'real Elvis' footage into his film as Easter-Eggs for the core fans.
He also discussed that some of the footage was "previously unseen" and newly discovered by his team in the Warner vaults.
There was also a mention of him doing an "extended original cut of ELVIS" that ran four hours. However back in November 2002 he then explained... “Its not now, and not probably next year. But I don't close my mind to the idea that in the future, there might be a way of
exploring another cut. To do an extended cut, you'd be working on it for another four or six months something. I'm not closed to it, but not now. I'm a little bit on the tired side.”
Perhaps Baz is feeling happy and refreshed as today he hinted about already working on a new project with the "unseen footage" that he uncovered.
Luhrmann posted a video on Insta today of a Warner Bros box of "Elvis OUTTAKES" followed by raw 1970 footage of Elvis filmed during TTWII in Las Vegas.
Baz captioned the post:
“A TCB headlines that I know so many of you have been wanting to hear… “It’s true we’ve found reels and reels of never before seen footage of Elvis On Tour, and Thats The Way It Is' stay tuned #tcb #tcbheadlines.”
Go here to BazLuhrmann Instagram to see the short reel (News, Source;BL/ElvisInfoNet)
See EIN's spotlight about Baz Luhrmann's massive success with his stunning movie 'ELVIS'
EIN 'ELVIS" Movie Spotlight: Baz Luhrmann's new biopic 'ELVIS' was released to the cinemas on June 24 2022.
It was as far back at May 2014 - eight years ago - that EIN first reported that fellow-Australian Baz Luhrmann had started working on his concept for a stunningly fabulous ELVIS movie. At the time there were plenty of skeptics that didn't believe that this Academy award-winning director of The Great Gatsby, Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Australia and Moulin Rouge could be interested in an ELVIS biopic but we were proved right. In our in-depth spotlight EIN presents all the stories, interviews and drama that have accompanied this brilliant achievement since those early days of 2014.
Other EIN Spotlights you might be interested in...
'The Dark Side Of Colonel Parker' - EIN Spotlight:June 26th 2009 is a special date that commemorates four unique events of the Elvis World. 1. The 100th Birthday of Colonel Parker.
2. The 32nd Anniversary of Elvis' final concert in Indianapolis.
3. The 30th Anniversary of the death of Elvis' father, Vernon Presley.
4. The 30th Anniversary of the revelation to Elvis’ estate that Colonel Parker was still fleecing his client.
Although comedian Nipsy Russell stated that "Every entertainer should go to bed at night and pray he finds a Colonel Tom Parker under his bed when he wakes up in the morning" - is that really the truth?
It is a fact that after Elvis' death an official investigation found that "both Colonel Parker (and RCA) acted in collusion against Presley's best interests. Colonel Parker was guilty of self-dealing and overreaching and had violated his duty to both Elvis and to the estate."
While there is no doubt that Elvis and The Colonel's story is extremely complex, in this in-depth Spotlight EIN takes a look at the darker side of Colonel Tom Parker - and includes plenty of insights from Elvis’ colleagues and friends.
. Go here for this fascinating investigation- and also Have Your Say. (Spotlight, Source;EIN)
‘Bicycle Rider: Thoughts on The Searcher’: One of EIN’s most insightful contributors George Smith has written a stunning essay on the new HBO documentary ‘Elvis Presley: The Searcher’.
In his review ‘George Smith’ captures the essence of the narrative, Zimny’s production decisions and notes the difficulty of having to create a documentary about Elvis’ music and having to keep it under 4 hours.
His review includes, “The genius of the documentary though, is in its decision to present Elvis Presley to all viewers in a new and unexpected fashion. For the devotees this is realised through the constant use of new film (professional and amateur) and studio outtakes: it keeps the faithful on their toes and creates the impression of seeing and hearing Elvis anew. This is why Zimny insisted on using the alternative Aloha, the handheld “Trilogy” and “Never Been to Spain”, the “Burning Love” rehearsal, the “If I Can Dream” outtake, the off-air segments from ’68, the non-masters of “Lonely Man”, “Hurt”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Loving You”.. It is a deliberate and clever approach which was much appreciated by this writer.” Go here to “Bicycle Rider: Thoughts on The Searcher” this is essential reading.
(Spotlight; Source;GeorgeSmith/ElvisInfoNet)
Dec 3, 2018- ‘Behind The Music- Elvis 68 Television Special’: It was FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY - that Elvis' stunning 68 NBC Television Special was broadcast in the USA. The programme would become one of the highest rated of the year, Elvis re-discovered his roots, Col Parker was stunned by the reception and Elvis was empowered to choose Memphis' American Sound Studio for his next serious recording session. A string of top-ten Billboard Hits beckoned and his life and ours would never be the same. EIN contributor Dennis Laverty has compiled a unique documentary called “Behind The Music- Elvis 68 Television Special” to celebrate this great day.
It tells the story of the 'Comeback Special' by those that were there examining the How and Why Elvis career came to this creative point where he desparately needed to do the show. There is discussion of production numbers, sit down, standup shows, the '69 rebirth plus much more.
This special includes ELVIS interviews from 'On Tour'
and features Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Chris Bearde, Steve Binder, Billy Strange, Tanya Lemani Little Egypt, Anita Mann (choreographer), Bill Belew, Earl Brown plus plenty of old compiled interviews from all too many who have sadly passed away. EIN thanks Dennis Laverty for the input. Click here to Vimeo. - Sit Back And Celebrate this special day - The video runs around 2 1/2 hours.
(Spotlight, Source;DL/ElvisInfoNet)
'Elvis: The Searcher - Additional Stories' Spotlight:Like all too many serious Elvis fans Dennis Laverty felt let-down by the lack of seventies content in the HBO 'Elvis The Searcher' documentary. Luckily for us he has produced a lovely documentary "Elvis Presley: The Searcher - Additional Stories Not in the Original Film" that anyone can view on Vimeo.
He writes, "I really enjoyed The Searcher documentary, but after watching I wished they would have made it 4 hours. The 1950's skipped what pushed Elvis over-the-top when he appeared on TV, two of his best films and soundtracks (Loving You & Jailhouse Rock), and the backlash he took with his rock and roll Christmas Album. The 1960s unfortunately glossed over American Sound, especially Elvis taking a risk with 'In The Ghetto'.
The 1970s disappointed when nothing was discussed about Elvis' only concept album (Elvis Country), nor 'He Touched Me' (they could have included unreleased Elvis on Tour footage of gospel segment) and finally with David Porter one of the Execs of the film from Stax Records that nothing was discussed about Elvis' returning to Memphis and STAX to record three key albums.
My goal was just to highlight those stories in some way.
Obviously I don't have access to the Elvis archives at Graceland, but I hope you enjoy.
The following are 10 segments that I thought could have fit into the film." ... EIN totally agrees and thoroughly recommends this 37 minute video.
This is the type of material that should have been in the DVD Extras CLICK HERE to VIMEO to watch EIN thanks Dennis Laverty for his input.
(Spotlight, Source;Dennis Laverty/ElvisInfoNet)
'Big Boss Man: What Kind of Technical Advice Did Parker Provide for Elvis’s Movies?': As technical advisor, Colonel Tom Parker was hailed by showbiz bible Variety as an "expert property developer." Though some of the movie properties Elvis’s manager helped develop were incredibly slapdash, that observation does raise one of the most puzzling aspects of the star’s Hollywood career. How much control did Parker have over Presley’s films, and what kind of technical advice did he provide between 1956 and 1972?
The Colonel developed the strategy – and ensured it was executed. Though his client often complained that he was "tired of these damn movies" in which fought in one scene and sang to a dog in the next, he never decisively rebelled, signifying his distaste by hiding in Memphis for as long as possible until the next shooting schedule beckoned.
'Elvis was not a Racist'- A Spotlight Revisited: Back in 2005 EIN's Piers Beagley wrote an in-depth look at Elvis' background & cultural influences, discovering a man that not only helped the local black community but who was also key figure in the racial integration of popular music. As James Brown said, "I love him and hope to see him in heaven. There’ll never be another like that soul brother" and Muhammad Ali,"Elvis Presley was the sweetest, most humble and nicest man you'd want to know." Now in 2012 EIN's good friend Bernard Tanner, Jr.sent us a wonderful letter explaining his reaction when faced with young adults in his hometown of Altanta Georgia accusing Elvis of being a racist. He says.. "My refusal to back down against their impassioned but wrong-headed and false accusations of Presley's race bigotry shocked them.... .. And (often) lost in these arguments is the fact that Elvis was supernally
gifted as a performer and as a vocalist. And that he marshaled those rare gifts to the African-American cultural and musical construct and helped to give those musical idioms, not only a much wider acceptability, respect and legitimacy - but supernally so! With Elvis Week 2012 recently ending please CLICK HERE to see this excellent article re-visited. (Spotlight Article, Source: ElvisInformationNetwork)
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