An Elvis Presley concert film directed by Baz Luhrmann is heading to cinemas in 2026, having premiered at the recent Toronto Film Festival on September 6. (NME)
The film, which is set for release next year, features long-lost footage of the legendary singer’s Las Vegas residency alongside 16mm footage from the 1972 film Elvis on Tour and 8mm film from the Graceland archive.
Presley then says, “There’s been a lot written and a lot said, but never from my side of the story,” before he sings ‘The Battle Hymn Of The Republic’ over old concert footage.
Titled EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the film combines previously unseen footage from The King’s Las Vegas residency in the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as outtakes from documentaries Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour. 68 boxes of film were discovered during the development of Luhrmann’s 2022 film Elvis, and eventually inspired this new project.
Having played at the Toronto and Zurich Film Festivals, the movie will now come to cinemas worldwide on a yet-to-be-announced date next year.
In a statement (via Variety), Luhrmann said: “From the first day my editor, Jonathan Redmond, and I encountered this rare and never-before-seen footage of Elvis almost 8 years ago, it has been our mission that Elvis should finally fulfil his unrealised dream to tour around the world.”
“We created an experience that is not just a documentary and not just a concert film; it’s ‘EPiC.’ Now, I could not be more thrilled that our passion is matched by (distributors) Neon and Universal, who will ensure this film will be seen from local cinemas in small towns, to the biggest screens in the biggest cities in the world. I personally can’t wait to TCB (Elvis’s motto: ‘taking care of business’) and take this show on the road.”
