Here’s Elvis Presley like you’ve never seen before. While researching for his Elvis biopic, director Baz Luhrmann unearthed hours of film footage of the music icon during the Elvis on Tour in Las Vegas, as well as intimate captures of his life from the Graceland estate.
With so much material left unseen, Luhrmann decided to give Elvis the “Get Back” treatment, the same way Peter Jackson did with the Beatles. His team restored spools of footage, cleaned up the dusty audio, and presented what might have been the quintessential Elvis experience.
There are no big reveals in “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” that weren’t shared by Luhrmann in his Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler back in 2022. Viewers who aren’t familiar with him will be treated to a brief history of the singer’s milestones leading up to the moment he starts rehearsals for a Las Vegas residency. The documentary serves as a peek into Elvis’s creativity and how his charisma energized his orchestra in every show.
What fascinated me is how, despite the exhaustive process of Elvis to always turn up the energy to a ten, his band remains loyal and motivated. My only nitpick is that I wish they had explored Elvis’ relationship with his peers even more.
Nevertheless, “EPiC” offers the complete package. You come in expecting Elvis to sing and dance, and you’ll never be disappointed. If you’re looking for an introspective Elvis, a voiceover monologue of the singer is spliced with the footage. No talking heads, no trimmings. It’s a highly entertaining music documentary that I think we’ll come back to from time to time.
“EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” opens in New Zealand cinemas on 26 February 2026.
Featured images from Universal Pictures.
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