Baz Luhrmann speaks to PEOPLE exclusively about his new film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The \u201ccinematic tone poem,\u201d as the Australian director calls it, consists of unearthed footage of Presley’s legendary Las Vegas residency that began in 1969<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Luhrmann\u2019s follow-up to his 2022 biopic Elvis will win over even those who \u201cdon\u2019t like\u201d the late singer, he says<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Even as a bona fide Elvis Presley<\/a> expert, Baz Luhrmann<\/a> realized he had plenty to learn about the King of Rock and Roll upon diving into his new project.<\/p>\n EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert<\/a>, which premiered on Sept. 6 at the Toronto International Film Festival<\/a>, consists of archival footage shot during Presley’s 1969 epochal residency at Las Vegas’ International Hotel. As Luhrmann, 62, tells PEOPLE, his follow-up to 2022\u2019s Austin Butler<\/a>– and Tom Hanks<\/a>-starring Elvis<\/a> is \u201ca cinematic tone poem\u201d rather than a documentary or concert film.<\/p>\n \u201cDocumentaries about Elvis tend to be people talking about him: \u2018Well, Elvis is this,\u2019\u201d the Australian filmmaker says at the PEOPLE\/EW and Shutterstock studio on Sept. 7. Instead, Luhrmann wanted to let much of the 36 hours of Presley footage unearthed at MGM Studios\u2019 Kansas salt mines speak for itself.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we go through the material, we recognize we have him in his prime,\u201d he recalls, including \u201csinging like never before seen\u2026 We found 40 minutes of [footage] of him actually talking about his life, himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Presley, who died in 1977 at age 42, has been the subject of countless biopics and documentaries. The \u201cpoignant\u201d EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, as TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey wrote in a synopsis<\/a>, focuses \u201con Presley\u2019s musicianship and his interactions with band members and singers. What\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Courtesy of TIFF<\/p>\n Elvis Presley in ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert\u2019<\/p>\n Luhrmann says he hopes the new film changes some music fans\u2019 minds about the King. \u201cPeople don’t like Elvis,\u201d he says bluntly. \u201cI was a bit surprised by the level of [audience members] relating to the screen like it’s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n The director\u2019s younger collaborators previously thought of Presley as more of \u201ca Halloween costume,\u201d he adds. But watching the new footage, \u201cthey couldn’t get over [how] goofy he is and how funny he is. And you get the sense of his vulnerability, that he’s particularly empathetic.\u201d<\/p>\n What allows viewers of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert to empathize with the late singer anew? \u201cI think he always felt less than, and then he turns into almost godlike,\u201d opines Luhrmann. \u201cSo to feel less than on the inside, but godlike on the outside is what makes such a remarkable person \u2014 who can then convert that into song.\u201d<\/p>\n Pop culture icons like Presley, he says, are considered \u201caspirational,\u201d an outsized projection of who they really are. \u201cBut great icons are always flawed and they’re very human. That’s what makes them so powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n Earl Gibson III\/Deadline via Gett<\/p>\n Baz Luhrmann at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert does not yet have a release date. Among Luhrmann\u2019s other upcoming projects is Jehanne d\u2019Arc<\/a>, a retelling of the story of Joan of Arc.<\/p>\n![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dede4473aa1ba68624b6dac0136b2226.jpeg\"\/)
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