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Cape Town – Elvis is in the building!
Director Baz Luhrmann has cast Austin Butler as Elvis Presley for the upcoming untitled drama of the legendary singer's life.
The Carrie Diaries actor beat out Harry Styles, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson for the role.
READ MORE: Which of these 5 actors do you think should play Elvis?
This will be the Austin's first major role in a studio film. He is best known for his TV roles in Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth, Ruby & The Rockits and The Shannara Chronicles.
He got rave reviews for his Broadway debut in The Iceman Cometh in 2018.
The 27-year-old shared the news on Instagram alongside a picture he quoted lyrics from the song Love Me Tender.
Austin will star alongside Tom Hanks who will play Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis' manager.
According to Deadline, the production will kick off early next year in Queensland, Australia.
Speaking about casting Austin, Baz said in a statement to the publication that he couldn't make the film if the casting wasn't right.
"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 world's most iconic musical figures," said Baz.
