Warner Bros. announced on Thursday that Baz Luhrmann’s untitled biopic about Elvis Presley will move from November 2021 to June 3, 2022.
The film stars Austin Butler as Presley and Tom Hanks as the rock star’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, exploring the relationship between star and promoter as Elvis rises to levels of fame never before seen in America in the midst of social and political turmoil. Olivia DeJonge also stars as Presley’s wife, Priscilla. Luhrmann co-wrote the film with Craig Pearce and is co-producing with Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss.
The film was originally set to debut simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max as part of Warner Bros.’ plans for its entire 2021 slate, but it is not yet clear if that release strategy will continue now that the film has moved to next year. Filming on the biopic had been delayed back in March when Hanks tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia, making him one of the first Hollywood stars to be infected with the virus.
There are no other major studio releases currently set for June 3, 2022, though the biopic will now come out against some stiff competition that spring. Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4” is set to release on Memorial Day weekend, and films set to come out later in June 2022 include Universal’s “Jurassic World: Dominion” and Pixar’s “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear.” But the biopic also leaves behind an early November slot that would have seen it go against Marvel Studios’ “Eternals” — though it’s possible that film could also move with the entire Marvel slate, as Disney weighs what to do with “Black Widow,” which is set to hit theaters this May.