Austin Butler has beat out Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and One Direction frontman Harry Styles for the lead role in director Baz Luhrmannโs Elvis Presley biopic.
Someone just got upped to the A-list in Hollywood!
The film is set up at Warner Bros. and will chart Presleyโs rise and zenith, putting a particular focus on his relationship with his manager Col. Tom Parker, to be played by Tom Hanks.

The drama โwill delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presleyโs rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America.โ
Butler, well known for his television work on series like Switched at Birth and The Carrie Diaries, recently made his Broadway debut in 2018 opposite Denzel Washington in Eugene OโNeillโs The Iceman Cometh, directed by George C. Wolfe.

It was Butlerโs performance on stage in The Iceman Cometh that sealed the deal for Luhrmann:
โI knew I couldnโt make this film if the casting wasnโt absolutely right, and we searched thoroughly for an actor with the ability to evoke the singular natural movement and vocal qualities of this peerless star, but also the inner vulnerability of the artist,โ said Luhrmann in a statement. โThroughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent. I had heard about Austin Butler from his stand-out role opposite Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the worldโs most iconic musical figures.โ
Baz Luhrmann
Butler is also recognizable as Vanessa Hudgensโ long-term partner.

The duo has been together for a long time now: they were first linked to each other back in 2011, the year after she split from High School Musical squeeze Zac Efron.
The unnamed biopic starts shooting in Australia next year.