Ever since winning an Oscar for his documentary One Day in September, Kevin MacDonald has kept his feet in the worlds of docs and narrative features, and has found success in both. Mostly he's done it by keeping a similar grounded approach no matter what the subject, and it's a style that is already earning him raves for his upcoming apocalyptic drama, How I Live Now. With that Saoirse Ronan-led flick in the can, MacDonald is heading into biopic territory, agreeing to direct the Elvis Presley film Last Train to Memphis.
Based on Peter Guralnick's book, the story will cover the first twentyfour years in Elvis' life, from his time as a musically gifted child to his first recordings at Sun Records, to the time he helped usher in a brand new sound in the 1950s. John Fusco is adapting the novel, while Mick Jagger continues to put his producing muscle to the test on the film. He's also producing the James Brown biopic that recently cast Chadwick Boseman in the lead role.As for who could take on the challenge of portraying a young Elvis, producers are taking video submissions at the website Young Elvis Casting, where you can audition for the coveted role. [Variety]
