Filmmaker Toolkit (IndieWire)

Baz Luhrmann Found Lost Elvis Footage and Turned It Into a Dreamscape

In this episode, Jim Hempill interviews director Baz Luhrmann about his new Elvis project, Epic Elvis Presley in Concert, which stitches together rare, unseen concert and behind‑the‑scenes footage into a dream‑like narrative told from Elvis’s own voice. Luhrmann explains how the lost reels were discovered in MGM’s vaults, the painstaking restoration work with Peter Jackson’s team, and the decision to let Elvis “speak” rather than rely on talking‑heads. He also reflects on the role of Colonel Parker, the mythic nature of Elvis’s stardom, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI on preserving musical heritage. The conversation highlights Luhrmann’s blend of archival detective work and theatrical imagination to create an immersive, non‑documentary experience.