Baz Luhrmann sends special message to Elvis Week fans about new Elvis documentary
Bob Mehr
Memphis Commercial Appeal
News about a forthcoming Elvis Presley documentary, plans for an Elvis hologram, and the efforts to mark the 50th anniversary of the singer’s passing were among the topics discussed by Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) managing partner Joel Weinshanker during an Elvis Week event at Graceland on Aug. 15.
Speaking as part of the Conversations on Elvis event, Weinshanker made his annual appearance, delivering a kind "State of Elvis" address and answering audience questions.
During his 30-minute spot with host Tom Brown, Weinshanker provided updates on various projects and teased several other upcoming initiatives. Confirming previous media reports, Weinshanker said the feature length Presley documentary from “Elvis” director Baz Luhrmann would debut Sept. 6 at the Tornoto International Film Festival. The film is titled "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert."
Weinshanker noted that the footage for the film — originally shot for the 1970s Elvis docs “Elvis: That’s Way It Is” and “Elvis On Tour” — was recovered from archival vaults and digitized properly and in full for the first time.
“I can't even think of a superlative to use for this grouping, the entire film, that is now digitized,” said Weinshanker, adding that the material would have lasting historical value. “Not only for the film that you're going to see, but the hundreds of hours that exist beyond that. It’s a real treasure trove that’s going to help [Graceland] as an institution know more and understand more about Elvis.”
The Luhrmann doc was financed by Sony Music in partnership with EPE. Weinshanker said the film’s debut at TIFF will be an opportunity to sell the project to a distributor.
“We're gonna go to market. We actually don't know yet who is going to distribute the film,” said Weinshanker, who added that everyone involved believes the movie should have a proper theatrical release, rather than just going direct to streaming. “It needs to be seen in theaters,” he added.
According to Weinshanker, the hope is the Elvis doc will be out by Presley’s birthday in January 2026. In addition to the doc eventually being available on streaming services, he also said there would be “an extended version on physical media, likely a Blu-ray.”
Weinshanker also played a video message from Luhrmann, who was supervising a scoring session for "EPiC."
“I am not caught in a trap,” joked Luhrmann. “I'm here recording music for an epic [documentary] where Elvis sings and tells his story like never before. We are heading towards the Toronto International Film Festival and cannot wait to be TCBing on the rest of this movie.”
Elvis hologram show 'getting close'
In other Elvis-related developments, Weinshanker also indicated that EPE was advancing in its efforts to bring a cutting-edge Elvis hologram project to fruition. “We're getting to a place where there is an opportunity for an Elvis hologram show, a concert performance, utilizing the best technology,” he said. “It’s getting close.”
Weinshanker noted that Elvis “was a first adapter. He wanted all the [latest] technology, he wanted all these things. I think in a couple of years, you'll be able to see that [hologram show] and know that Elvis was the greatest performer of the 20th century.”
After answering audience questions, Weinshanker added that much of his and EPE’s ongoing efforts are part of a “march towards 2027,” which will mark the 50th anniversary of Presley’s passing.
“It's a lot of work, but going into ‘27, you're going to see a lot of new things at Graceland,” he said. “You're going to see that we're really going to represent for the 50th anniversary, and we're going to make Elvis proud.”
