Austin Butler exuded rocker confidence as he arrived at a screening of director Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated film Elvis in New York City on Wednesday night.
The 30-year-old actor – who stars as the real-life ‘King Of Rock and Roll’ in the upcoming musical drama – was joined by his 20-year-old model girlfriend, Kaia Gerber.
Documenting Presley’s meteoric rise to superstardom in the 1950s, Luhrmann’s film explores the music legend’s complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks).
Starring: Austin Butler exuded rocker confidence as he arrived at a screening of director Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated film Elvis in New York City on Wednesday night. The 30-year-old actor – who stars as the real-life ‘King Of Rock and Roll’ in the upcoming musical drama – was joined by his 20-year-old model girlfriend, Kaia Gerber
Elvis hits theaters on Friday June 24th.
Butler and Gerber – who have been dating since December 2021 – were captured arriving at the screening holding hands.
Cindy Crawford’s daughter turned heads in a pleated mini skirt and oversized leather jacket.
She wore a navy blue t-shirt and sported the look with a pair of white trainers.
Butler looked polite, all in black. He wore a black blazer jacket over a loose-fitting shirt tucked into tapered pants.
Loved up: Butler and Gerber – who have been dating since December 2021 – were captured arriving at the screening holding hands
Polite: Butler looked polite all in black. He wore a black blazer jacket over a loose-fitting shirt tucked into tapered pants
Becoming “The King”: Butler (left) plays Elvis Presley (right) in the upcoming musical drama
He clearly took inspiration from Presley, choosing to leave the first few buttons of his shirt undone to reveal his chiseled chest.
The Zoey 101 star completed the look with some classic black leather shoes and added pomade to his sandy blonde hair to create a swept back look.
In tow were Butler’s co-star and Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks and his stunning wife Rita Wilson.
The 65-year-old Cast Away actor rocked a black suit jacket and matching trousers but opted for a navy shirt.
His salt and pepper colored hair was neatly styled and he wore stylish glasses.
Rita, 65, stunned in a black ruffled midi dress and a pair of strappy open-toe heels that showed off her maroon pedicure.
Co-star: Following in tow were Butler’s co-star and Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks and his stunning wife Rita Wilson
Dressed: The Cast Away actor, 65, rocked a black suit jacket and matching trousers but opted for a navy blue shirt. Rita, 65, stunned in a black ruffled midi dress and a pair of strappy open-toe heels that showed off her maroon pedicure
Golden girl: Actress Olivia DeJonge, who will star on screen as Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, stunned viewers in a shiny gold suit. The outfit choice was a clear nod to Presley’s iconic gold lamé suit, which he wore on the cover of his 1957 LP 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong
The singer’s golden blonde hair was parted in the middle and styled in voluminous curls.
She had a black leather handbag slung over her shoulder when she arrived at the premiere venue with her longtime husband.
Actress Olivia DeJonge, who will be starring on screen as Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, stunned viewers in a gleaming gold suit.
The outfit choice was a clear nod to Presley’s iconic gold lamé suit, which he wore on the cover of his 1957 LP 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong.
According to the official Graceland website, Presley’s manager Parker had “enlisted famed seamstress Nudie Cohn to design a sparkly suit for Elvis to wear on stage.”
The suit, which included a jacket, pants, shoes, tie, and belt, cost $2,500.
Butler’s portrayal of Elvis has been the talk of the town since the first teaser trailer of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was released in February.
Biopic: Luhrmann’s film chronicles Presley’s meteoric rise to superstardom in the 1950s and explores the music legend’s complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks).
The talk of the town: Butler’s portrayal of Elvis has been the talk of the town since the first teaser trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was released in February
Speaking to Britain’s GQ, Butler opened up about playing “The King” and how losing their mothers to each other in early adulthood helped him connect with the rocker on a deeper level.
“His mother died when he was 23 and my mother died when I was 23. When I found out, it was one of those things that gives me the chills, and I was just like, ‘Okay, I can connect to that,’ he told the outlet.
The Anaheim, Calif. native added that he “never loved more than Elvis for someone I’ve never met.”
With pre-production and filming on the film spanning two years, including a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Butler told ELLE Australia that he “didn’t do anything” other than work tirelessly to win Presley embody.
In fact, the actor worked so hard to master Presley’s unique singing and speaking voice that after filming wrapped, his family told him that he “doesn’t sound like me anymore,” according to THR.
Though his commitment to becoming Presley has paid off, Butler admitted to GQ that taking on someone else’s role can often cause an actor to “lose touch with who you really are.”
Family approval: Butler’s performance was praised by Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, his daughter Lisa Marie Presley, and Riley Keough, granddaughter of the Blue Suede Shoes rocker; (LR) Riley, Lisa Marie and Priscilla pictured June 11th
Relive it all: Priscilla – who was married to Elvis Presley from 1967 to 1973 – told her Instagram followers this month that Butler’s apt portrayal helped her “relive every moment” she had with her late husband ; Butler and Priscilla pictured May 25
He continued, “And I definitely had that by the time I was done with Elvis — not knowing who I was.”
Butler’s performance was praised by Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, his daughter Lisa Marie Presley and Blue Suede Shoes rocker Riley Keough’s granddaughter.
Priscilla – who was married to Presley from 1967 to 1973 – told her Instagram followers last month that Butler’s apt portrayal helped her “relive every moment” she had with her late husband.
She remarked that the film was so “beautifully made” that it “took me a few days to get over the emotions” she felt playing it on screen.
Lisa Marie previously gushed that Butler “wonderfully channels and embodies my father’s heart and soul” and that Luhrmann’s film as a whole is “moving.” [her] to tears.’
Drama: Bringing Elvis to life was no easy task for director Baz Luhrmann, who was forced to shut down production in Queensland, Australia, in March 2020 after Austin Butler’s co-lead Tom Hanks tested positive for COVID-19. This completely thwarted the film’s planned October 2021 release, which would eventually be pushed back to June 2022. Production resumed in late September 2020 and completed in early March 2021, almost exactly a year after the forced shutdown
Riley told Variety that Butler captured the essence of her grandfather “so beautifully” and that she “started crying for five minutes [into the film] and didn’t stop.’
Bringing Elvis to life was no easy task for director Baz Luhrmann, who was forced to shut down production in Queensland, Australia, in March 2020 after Butler’s co-lead Hanks tested positive for COVID-19.
Hank’s diagnosis, as well as the eventual coronavirus lockdown, completely thwarted the film’s planned October 2021 release, which would eventually be pushed back to June 2022.
Production resumed in late September 2020 and completed in early March 2021, almost exactly a year after the forced shutdown.
Coming Soon: Elvis hits theaters on Friday June 24th