At the Met Gala on Monday night, Baz Luhrmann teased that he may not be quite done with Elvis Presley-related projects, following his 2022 Austin Butler-starring film.
The director told The Hollywood Reporter, “The fans really want to know if all that footage we found in the vaults is going to become a concert film and I’m here to say I think it’s gonna happen.” In October, Luhrmann had posted on Instagram that “we’ve found reels and reels of never-before-seen footage of Elvis on Tour and That’s The Way It Is,” telling fans to “stay tuned.” An accompanying video showed a cardboard box with a Warner Bros. label and “Elvis outtakes box” written on the side.
That’s The Way It Is was a documentary following Elvis Presley’s Summer Festival in Las Vegas during August 1970 (released alongside his 12th album of the same name) and Elvis on Tour was a 1972 documentary tracking the star while on a 15-city tour.
The director had previously also said he would release an extended cut of Elvis with more of Butler’s performances, telling IndieWire during the film’s awards run, “There’s a whole lot of material that adds up to four hours, but I have gone on record now to say not today, not tomorrow, but at some point I would do [it]. Because Austin did his concerts full out. He did all the numbers. Austin just did it and it was an out of body experience to watch him do those full concerts, so one day I will cut those full concerts together.”
There has not been an update on that four-hour cut since; Elvis was nominated for eight Oscars at the 2023 ceremony, including best picture and a best actor nod for Butler.