'Elvis' to be released for free in honor of Elvis' 88th birthday

The biopic, directed by Baz Luhrmann, will screen in ten select cities this January.

On Jan. 8, Warner Bros. and Graceland teamed up to celebrate Elvis Presley's birthday with free screenings of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis in ten select cities. The screenings were part of a larger celebration of Elvis Presley's 88th birthday.

The biopic, which grossed more than $280 million worldwide last year, will have free screenings in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver - and, of course, Memphis, where screenings will be held at Presley Graceland Mansion. Tickets will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Luhrmann and star Austin Butler will introduce the film. "We are extremely grateful to the audience of all ages who came to see this film in theaters, and to Warner Bros. and the exhibitors, who made the sure bet," Luhrmann said in a statement, referring to the The screening expressed its "thank you to audiences, especially fans old and new, for making Elvis Presley the number one original film of 2022."

There are many other events planned to celebrate Presley's birthday, combined with film. On Jan. 8, HBO Max will release The Boys of Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen, a 30-minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of Elvis, also available on the platform. Sirius XM will rerun the town hall starring Elvis, including Luhrmann, Butler, Tom Hanks and Olivia DeJonge, from January 6-8. Additionally, on January 6, RCA Records will release a never-before-seen complete remix of the track featured in the film Britney Spears x Elvis Presley “Toxic Las Vegas: Jamieson Shaw Remix.”

Elvis, Luhrmann's first film since 2013's The Great Gatsby, which stars Butler as pioneering rock star Elvis Presley and follows him through the stages of his musical career. Start, experience triumph and tragedy. With Hanks playing Elvis Presley's manipulative manager Colonel Tom Parker and DeJonge playing his long-suffering wife Priscilla Presley, the film features Luhrmann's signature flashy style and Butler's central performance. feature. The film won three Golden Globes (Best Picture, Luhrmann for Best Director and Butler for Best Actor) and is expected to be a strong contender for multiple Academy Awards this spring. In his review, Collider's Ross Bonaime finds The film has "more style than substance," but is ultimately "a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed."

Elvis is available on HBO Max.