CULTURE

Olivia DeJonge Will Play Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Biopic

She’ll join Austin Butler and Tom Hanks.


"The Visit" New York Premiere
D Dipasupil

The king has officially found his queen. Deadline reports that Olivia DeJonge has been cast as Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis biopic.

“Olivia is capable of manifesting the complex depth and presence that has made Priscilla Presley an icon in her own right,” Luhrmann said in a statement. “She’s an extremely talented young actor and the perfect counterpoint to Austin’s Elvis.”

The Austin Luhrmann is referring to is Austin Butler, who beat out a coterie of smoldering heartthrobs–Harry Styles included–for the role. The young duo will be joined by Tom Hanks, who’ll play Colonel Tom Parker in the film. Parker of course, is credited with discovering Elvis, and it’s their relationship that will reportedly be the film’s driving force.

But that’s not all. Per Deadline, the untitled film will cover Presley’s “rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.” In other words, this movie has Oscar written all over it.

That’s certainly good news for DeJonge, who’s been working consistently for the last few years but who’s yet to find that one breakout role. The 21-year-old Aussie actress has appeared in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit, The Sisterhood of the Night, Better Watch Out, and this year’s Stray Dolls. She also had key roles in the Netflix series The Society, and TNT’s Will and Hiding.

Luhrmann meanwhile, has a knack for discovering new talent. Remember, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes were still relatively obscure when he cast them in his 1996 adaptation of Romeo + Juliet and well, we all know how that turned out.

Related: How Austin Butler Earned His Role as Elvis Presley