Rufus Sewell to Play Elvis Presley’s Father in Baz Luhrmann’s Musical Drama (Exclusive)
Rufus Sewell will portray the reserved, soft-spoken Vernon Presley, the King of Rock and Roll’s father, in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” sources tell Variety.The Warner Bros. film stars Austin Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as Elvis Presley’s manger, Colonel Tom Parker.Luhrmann co-wrote the script with Craig Pearce. The movie revolves around the veteran manager and the young singer, who came from dirt-poor origins to become an icon who changed the course of music history. The project marks Luhrmann’s first film since his 2013 adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. He most recently worked on the Netflix series “The Get Down.” Production is expected to start this spring.Throughout his career, Presley talked about his devotion to his mother, Gladys, constantly calling her his number one girl. The close relationship is said to have continued when the musician’s career took off ...