Does Austin Butler really sing and play guitar in Elvis? His Elvis Presley vocals explained

30 June 2022, 11:32

Baz Luhrmann's new biopic of 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' is finally here.

With Elvis now out at cinemas, we get to see actor Austin Butler strutting his stuff and shaking his thing like Elvis Presley himself.

We also get to see his co-star Tom Hanks, covered in prosthetics to play Elvis's ominous and infamous Colonel Tom Parker in the biographical musical.

Given its an official biopic, the iconic songs of Elvis are going to play a huge part in the film's success, with director Luhrmann calling the story a "great canvas to explore America.”

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The big question we all want to know however is: is that Austin Butler singing as Elvis?

Watch the trailer for Elvis

Elvis movie: Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler on the King's journey to big screen

It's been confirmed by both Butler and Luhrmann in a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter that, yes, it's Austin Butler singing throughout.

30-year Butler described the enormous hours of work he put in to replicate Elvis's legendary vocals.

"When I began the process, I set out to get my voice to be identical. That instils fear. So that got the fire burning,” Butler said.

“For a year before we started shooting, I was doing voice coaching.”

Austin has also been playing the piano and guitar since he was 13, having taught himself to play the instruments, just like Elvis!

Director Baz Luhrmann did point out that it's entirely Butler singing as young Elvis, but when he ages they blended Butler's vocals with Elvis's original vocal recordings.

“I watched as much as I could, over and over,” Butler continues, going into detail about the hours of study he put into imitating The King's voice.

“I feel such a responsibility to Elvis and to [ex-wife] Priscilla and [daughter] Lisa Marie, and all the people around the world who love him so much.”

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Elvis explores Presley's life in three sections: Elvis as a child, as a young man breaking into fame, and the twilight days before his premature death at the age of 42 in 1977.