Actress and director Riley Keough opened up about the emotional experience of watching the biopic on her grandfather, pop icon Elvis Presley, at the Cannes Film Festival 2022.
The eponymous biopic is directed by the Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who has also helmed classics such as The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge.
Speaking to Variety, Keough revealed that she watched the biopic with her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, and her grandmother and Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley.
The 32-year-old director said that the movie was “an emotional experience” and she started crying just five minutes in.
She also praised Luhrmann, sharing that “it was a real honor” to have him direct her grandfather’s biopic.
“It was a very emotional experience. It’s very intense to watch when it’s your family. The first movie I ever watched in the theater and said I wanted to make movies was ‘Moulin Rouge.’ I was 12. It was a real honor to know Baz was doing this movie. ‘Romeo + Juliet’ and ‘Moulin Rouge,’ for the age I was at the time, were really powerful. It wasn’t like I distrusted Baz in any way, but you’re protective over your family.”
She also commented on Luhrmann and lead actor Austin Butler’s hard work. She shared that they captured the legendary pop star’s essence “beautifully.”
Although Riley never had the opportunity to meet her grandfather, she re-lived the moments through Luhrmann’s movie. She commented on how it had “family and generational trauma” that had her extremely emotional throughout the screening.
In the first five minutes, I could feel how much work Baz and Austin put into trying to get it right. That made me emotional immediately. I started crying five minutes in and didn’t stop. There’s a lot of family trauma and generational trauma that started around then for our family. I felt honored they worked so hard to really get his essence, to feel his essence. Austin captured that so beautifully.
Riley’s mother, Lisa Marie Presley, had a similar reaction. She sang praises for both the actor and director.
She commented on Butler deserving an Oscar nomination for his incredible portrayal of her father and channeling his “heart & soul beautifully.”
Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis will open for the general public in theaters on June 24.
About Elvis
Elvis is an upcoming biographical musical film directed by Baz Luhrmann, from a screenplay written by Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner, with a story by Luhrmann and Doner. The film tells the life and career of rock and movie star Elvis Presley (Austin Butler). The film is dedicated to the memory of The Ladd Company’s founder Alan Ladd Jr., who died in March 2022.
News Source: Variety
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