The new Elvis movie has been a hit with filmgoers as it's been branded with an A- score at CinemaScore. What CinemaScore does is poll filmgoers on opening night of major releases, and those who've seen the film will provide an A to F grade based on their opinions. These are all compiled to result in a final grade to be bestowed upon the movie, and in the case of Elvis, the A- means that most everyone who saw it had enjoyed it.
Over at Rotten Tomatoes, the critics were mostly positive with their reviews, and Elvis currently sits with a 79% fresh score on the Tomatometer. Its audience score is much higher, sitting at a 93% Fresh rating. In particular, there has been a lot of praise for lead actor Austin Butler's performance as Elvis Presley. This echoes the praise that came from the actual Presley family prior to the movie's release.
Baz Luhrmann directed Elvis and wrote the screenplay with Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner. Along with Butler, the movie stars Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Xavier Samuel, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. You can read the official synopsis below.
The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley's rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis's life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Tom Hanks Co-Stars as Col. Tom Parker
Elvis is not a traditional biopic as there's a heavy focus on his manager and the relationship he had with the king of rock 'n roll. Baz Luhrmann has explained how he didn't set out to make an Elvis Presley biopic and developed the movie from the start with Tom Hanks in mind as the narrator. In an interview with PopSugar, Hanks explained how he was approached to appear in the movie.
"I'd like to come over and talk to you about a project I have, but I want you to know before I come over, it's about Elvis,'" Hanks recalls Luhrmann telling him. "I just thought, 'Why would you be coming to talk to me about Elvis? To play [his father] Vernon?' ... But he came over and said, 'Look, no one knows the story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis. There would've never been Colonel Tom Parker were it not for Elvis, but there never would've been Elvis."
He added, "I heard that and I said, 'OK, the Elvis Presley story has never been told like that.' With this new element of the guy who made all of Elvis's dreams come true, and then also didn't quite realize the great, grander dreams that Elvis had, I said, 'That's new stuff. In that case, that means you're making a brand-new movie about Elvis.' And I like making brand-new movies."
Elvis is now playing in movie theaters.