‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’ director Baz Luhrmann.
Releasing solely on IMAX February twentieth earlier than being launched theatrically on February twenty seventh is the brand new movie ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’, which was directed by Baz Luhrmann (‘Elvis’) and makes use of never-before-seen audio and video of Elvis Presley.
“Elvis sings and tells his story like by no means earlier than.”
Launch Date: Feb 27, 2026
Run Time: 1 hr 38 min
Moviefone not too long ago had the pleasure of talking with director Baz Luhrmann about his work on ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’, why it’s not a documentary or live performance movie, discovering the misplaced footage and restoring the sound, and why followers have to see the film on IMAX.
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‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’ director Baz Luhrmann. Picture: Neon.
Moviefone: To start with, you’ve mentioned that this film is “not a documentary. It’s not a live performance movie. It’s one thing new.” Are you able to speak about that and what you got down to create with this undertaking?
Baz Luhrmann: Nicely, not new for newness’ sake, however due to the fabric we had, we needed to discover a approach of binding this ’70s live performance, this 16-millimeter footage of him on tour, and this 8-millimeter footage, after which we discovered this audiotape of him simply speaking about his life for 40 minutes. We went, “, let’s simply get out of the way in which. Let’s let Elvis inform his story with out speaking heads.” As a result of with Elvis, bless his socks, however there’s at all times lots of documentaries made the place individuals speak about how nice he’s. He sings over 70 songs in it. This allowed him to information us by means of his life by means of phrases and music. I believe it offers you an intimacy that you do not usually get.
Elvis Presley in ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’. Picture: Neon.
MF: Are you able to speak about discovering this misplaced footage and the method of restoring the sound?
BL: So, it was an accident, actually, as a result of Ernst Jorgensen, who’s type of the scientist of all issues Elvis, informed us about this possibly lacking actual, and that it is vitally arduous to get to as a result of they’re buried in salt mines in Kansas Metropolis. They try this to guard the footage from moisture. I assumed, possibly I can use a few of that. I had the cash so the fellows go down they usually begin kicking the door in, like ‘Raiders of the Misplaced Ark’ model. They’re 61 reels of footage. 35mm, 16mm, some lacking, and a few mislabeled. So, we introduced it again to Warner Bros., and truthfully, it smelt very very similar to vinegar, which meant it was decomposing. So, very first thing was to put it aside, scan it, after which the good Peter Jackson along with his group helped us deliver it again to IMAX high quality, which, simply to say, there is no AI on this. That is simply making the movie as lovely as attainable, however there was no sound. Now we did discover a magazine tape, so that you do have the unique sound of voice and band, generally broken orchestra, and generally not the most effective miking on ‘Candy Inspirations’. So, this tape we discovered of Elvis simply speaking about his life motivated us to let that be our guiding gentle. It took two years to seek out the sound, two years to sink it by eye. We had a fantastic man who simply sat in a room for 2 years (sinking it). Then we needed to have these themes after which we decreased the themes down and we wished it to be particular. We wished to guarantee that it was at a size that we may deliver it to the best attainable high quality. It was at all times like, “What would Elvis do?” What Elvis would do would wish to be offered on the largest display in the absolute best high quality.
Elvis Presley in ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’. Picture: Neon.
MF: Lastly, why is it necessary for Elvis followers to see this film on IMAX?
BL: I’ve only recently been seeing it on the IMAXs with audiences they usually really react like they’re at a live performance. That is what (Editor) Jon (Redmond) and I needed for, to offer Elvis the tour that he by no means had.
Elvis Presley in ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’. Picture: Neon.
What’s the plot of ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’?
Lengthy-lost footage from Elvis Presely’s legendary Las Vegas residency within the Nineteen Seventies woven along with uncommon 16mm footage from ‘Elvis on Tour’, and 8mm from the Graceland archive, plus recordings of Elvis telling “his aspect of the story” rediscovered throughout Baz Luhrmann’s analysis for his 2022 movie, ‘Elvis’.
Who’s within the solid of ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’?
‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Live performance’ opens solely on IMAX February twentieth and in theaters February twenty seventh.
Checklist of Baz Luhrmann Motion pictures:
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