Luhrmann Uncovers 59 Hours of Unseen Elvis Footage for New Film "EPiC"

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and his team conducted a search for rumored unseen footage from Elvis Presley's 1970s Las Vegas concert films, intending to find material for the 2022 movie "Elvis" starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks.

Researchers located 69 boxes containing 59 hours of previously unseen film negatives within the Warner Bros film vaults, stored in underground salt mines in Kansas. Additionally, audio recordings of Elvis Presley discussing his creative process were discovered.

Due to many audio tracks not syncing with the footage, the team employed lip reading to match tracks to specific visuals. Warner Bros supplied over 2,300 rolls of archive material to aid in this process.

The culmination of this effort is Baz Luhrmann's EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, a feature film slated for cinema release next week.

Luhrmann's Vision: An "Unexpected Film"

Luhrmann stated that the film was an "unexpected film" and that the approach was to "get out of the way" and allow Elvis to narrate his own story. He collaborated with Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson to enhance the quality of the original footage.

Luhrmann confirmed that Artificial Intelligence was not utilized in the film's production, emphasizing that there is "not one frame of AI in this film" and no visual effects beyond Elvis's impact on his audience.

Elvis Presley never performed outside the US and Canada, despite a period during his Las Vegas residency performing two sold-out shows daily, seven days a week.

Luhrmann indicated an intention to "give Elvis the world tour that he dreamed of but never had" through the film.

About EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

In his director's note, Luhrmann describes EPiC as neither a traditional documentary nor a concert film.

He presented the concept as Elvis appearing in a "dreamscape, almost like a cinematic poem," singing and sharing his story in a novel way.

The film covers a period following Presley's service in the US Army, during which he continued his acting career, becoming one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors in the 1960s amidst the rise of The Beatles and anti-Vietnam war sentiment.

The footage in the movie was compiled from various nights during Presley's 1970 Las Vegas residency. The music performed by Elvis features classic recordings from his catalogue and iconic covers, presented through his performances in Vegas, on tour, and in rehearsals.

Presley is portrayed with a sense of humor, described as "really unguarded" and "really open-hearted."

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is scheduled to premiere in cinemas on February 19.