Eric Bana Will Play Elvis Presley

[Authorize]

And Danny Huston will play Richard Nixon. Actor Cary Elwes will be making his directorial debut with the project.

After appearing in Joe Wright‘s action thriller Hanna, it looks like Australian actor Eric Bana will be stepping into some blue suede shoes for his next film. According to Variety, Bana will star as the rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley in Cary Elwes‘ directorial debut Elvis & Nixon. Danny Huston, most recently known for his role as Poseidon in Louis Leterrier’s Clash of the Titans, is still in negotiations to star as the Nation’s 37th President, Richard M. Nixon.

Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights) was so inspired by the historical meeting, that he decided to challenge himself by making it his first film as writer and director, employing Joey Sagal and Hanala Sagal to write the script with him.

Presley and Nixon first got together on December 21st, 1970, where the meeting was first initiated by Presley himself. After asking Nixon for a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge, Presley vowed his devotion to America and gave Nixon family photos and a Colt 45 pistol as parting gifts.

I’m a little skeptical of how Bana will handle portraying such a iconic historical figure like “The King,” but his career has shown promise in recent years, with his starring roles in Steven Spielberg‘s Munich and J.J. Abram‘s blockbuster hit, Star Trek.

Imagining Huston as Nixon is a less concerning than Bana as Elvis, but he does have some big shoes to fill, taking into account Frank Langella‘s Best Actor nomination for his portrayal in Ron Howard‘s Frost/Nixon.

Bana will also act as the film’s executive producer through his own company, Pick up Truck Pictures. The company was first credited in Bana’s 2009 directorial debut, Love the Beast. Elvis & Nixon will be their first U.S. production and although the start date is still unknown, production will take place in Los Angeles and Shreveport, Louisiana.

http://thefilmstage.com/news/eric-b...ichard-nixon-in-cary-elwes-directorial-debut/

 

[Ultra Lantern]

This looks very interesting.I'll see this movie when it comes out.

 

[Cuyan]

It wasn't until Hanna that I thought of Eric Bana as anything but mediocre.

 

[Figs]

I can't see Bana as Elvis at all.

 

[Sawyer]

Me neither.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

This could be a great movie, like, a one man Fear and loathing in Las Vegas starring Elvis, if they do it right.
What basically happened was that Elvis had a little 3 day adventure to himself, awoling from the clutches of the TCB gang, totally out of his mind on prescription drugs, and ended up showing up at the white house gates, asking for an audience with the president.
He used to collect all these law enforcement badges, cops would just give him badges cause he was elvis, and the one he could not get ahold of was a narcotics officer badge for his collection, so that is why he showed up at Nixon's hq, he went there totally ripped on drugs to ask for a narcotics officer badge, and he got one. haha Nixon got him a badge.

At least, that is how i recall the story as recounted in Albert Goldman's Elvis biography, I can't recall what else he got up to on that little excursion of his.

but aye, bana was a stand up comic and sketch comedian, he should be able to do a funny elvis.
I imagine they will just focus on those three days or whatever.

 

[Duke]

Not to trash this, but as others have already said....I just don't see Bana as Elvis at all. The one actor who could pull off a good Presley was Kurt Russell, unfortunately, he's already too old.

 

[Authorize]

Luke Wilson and Kevin Connolly have join the cast.

http://thefilmstage.com/news/luke-wilson-kevin-connolly-join-elvis-nixon/