Elvis fans are in for a real treat this Matariki weekend as filmmaker Baz Luhrman brings his razzle-dazzle biopic of The King of Rock n Roll to the big screen.
The man he cast as Elvis - Austin Butler - is getting Oscar's buzz already and even his double-Oscar-winning co-star Tom Hanks can't stop raving about him.
On the red carpet for his Gold Coast premiere, Butler told Newshub's Kate Rodger he was thrilled the fans are finally getting to see the film.
"I sure hope they love it. The cool thing is the people who might not know Elvis very well, they might not know all the details putting his life into context to see the spectacle of it to see the young rebel, Elvis I'm excited for them to get to see that."
Hanks played Elvis's manager Col Tom Parker in the film and he confessed watching Butler shoot his scenes just blew him away.
"I don't think I could stay there more than a few minutes, I thought my head was going to explode," he said, "Weeks later when we were shooting the Las Vegas opening night, there were 200 extras, the set is huge, and we are waiting for Elvis/Austin to show up.
"I have to say however many days we shot every time he came out and did it again, it was mesmerising and none of us could take our eyes off of him"
Like Hanks, Australian director Luhrman knew a star when he saw one. Austin was his Elvis but he sure took his time telling him.
He spent 5 months workshopping the young actor and then ghosted him.
Butler said he had to wait a week before he knew he had the part.
"It was the longest week then he woke me up... I see this call and I pick up, and you know how dramatic he is.
"He sounded, like, really downcast and he was like, 'Austin, I just wanted to be the first one to say - Are you ready to Fly Mr Presley?'"
Now, all that work and Elvis's story are ready for audiences as the film has just opened globally.
