elvis-presley

‘Elvis’ Has Become The Rare Non-Franchise Movie To Cross The $100 Million Mark At The American Box Office

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Austin Butler Elvis
Warner Bros.

Time was that box office hits were more diverse. Before franchise movies ruled the multiplex, a year’s biggest grosser could be a comedy (Three Men and Baby, 1987), a drama (Rain Man, 1988), or a ghostly romance (Ghost, 1990). Even high-concept extravaganzas could be one-offs (E.T., Titanic, Armageddon). This is a roundabout way of saying that everyone should break out the champagne, because a non-franchise movie just crossed the $100 million mark, and in only four weeks of release.

As per Variety, this weekend, Elvis — Baz Luhrmann’s over-the-top biopic about the King — crossed a benchmark, bringing its cume to a whopping $106.2 million. It’s still in the top five (albeit in the fifth slot), behind a three franchise movies (Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Top Gun: Maverick), as well as another non-franchise entry: Where the Crawdads Sing, which chalked up a respectable $17 million for third place.

Elvis stars Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Austin Butler (who did not — we repeat not — punch Ezra Miller in the face at a Tokyo bar) as the one born Elvis Aaron Presley, whose life and career are both made and derailed by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks, in a fat suit and with an unplaceable European-Southern accent). It’s clearly bewitched audiences, though it is a bit strange that none of Presley’s songs have suddenly creeped back into the Billboard 100, as Stranger Things help do to ‘80s tunes by Kate Bush and Metallica. In a just world, “Polk Salad Annie” would crack the Top 10.

(Via Variety)

Eminem Teases ‘The King And I,’ His New Song For The Elvis Presley Biopic Soundtrack

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eminem super bowl
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Elvis, a new biopic about, yes, Elvis Presley is on the way soon, as it’s set to open on June 24. Ahead of then, though, Doja Cat has previewed the soundtrack with “Vegas,” the song she recorded for the movie that she dropped earlier this month. Now, we have the full scope of who else is involved with the soundtrack, as the list of musicians who recorded something for the movie was shared today.

Among that group is Eminem and CeeLo Green, who came together for a new song, “The King And I.” Right around when the list of participating artists was released, Eminem shared a 15-second clip of the film that offers a snippet of the song, which seems to be based on Presley’s iconic “Jailhouse Rock” riff.

Aside from Eminem and Green, the soundtrack also features “original songs and recordings” from Presley himself, along with the film’s star, Austin Butler. Beyond that, also involved are Ann Nesby, Alton Mason, Chris Isaak, Denzel Curry, Doja Cat, Gary Clark Jr., Jack White, Lenesha Randolph, Jazmine Sullivan, Kacey Musgraves, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Les Greene, Måneskin, Nardo Wick, Paravi, PNAU, Rufus Thomas, Shonka Dukureh, Stevie Nicks, Swae Lee and Diplo, Tame Impala, and Yola.