Baz Luhrmann’s story behind the undiscovered Elvis in concert footage

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While making the movie Elvis (2022), director Baz Luhrmann uncovered previously unseen footage of Elvis Presley. His team, with help from Warner Brothers, found numerous reels of concert performances from Elvis’s 1970s Las Vegas shows, along with many 16-track audio recordings.

How the undiscovered Elvis in concert footage was going to be used…

I was hoping we could find some lost footage to enhance our Elvis movie with Austin Butler. We sent researchers to the Warner Bros. film archives, which are stored in underground salt mines in Kansas. Surprisingly, they discovered 69 boxes – almost 59 hours – of film negative that no one had looked at in years.

Baz Luhrmann and Jonathan Redmond first worked together on Moulin Rouge! and have been close creative collaborators ever since, partnering on films like Australia, The Great Gatsby, and Elvis. Jonathan, known as “Jono” by Luhrmann, serves as both editor and executive producer on EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert. Luhrmann often highlights Jono as the main creative force behind the project.

How long it took to bring the the undiscovered Elvis footage up to scratch….

As a huge fan, I was so excited to hear about the work being done on this project! Apparently, it took two years just to find the original film negatives. Then, Baz Luhrmann’s team partnered with Warner Brothers to scan everything into 4K. But that wasn’t all – they also discovered some previously unseen Super8 footage! That’s where Peter Jackson and his team at Park Road Post Production came in. They didn’t just restore the 8mm film, but also the 16mm and even the larger 35mm anamorphic prints. In the end, Luhrmann had over 59 hours of incredibly rare footage to work with – including that beautiful anamorphic 35mm and some amazing 8mm film from the 1950s. It’s incredible to think about all the effort that went into preserving this!

One of the most exciting parts of working on this project was uncovering previously unheard recordings of Elvis. These recordings capture him discussing his life and music from various periods, including his 1970 Vegas shows, the 1972 tour, and even intimate moments from his famous 1957 Hawaii performance. We knew we had to share these incredible finds, and they ultimately inspired the creation of this new film.

The audio issue…..

The sound often didn’t match the video, so the team had to watch people’s lips to figure out which audio went with which scene. Warner Brothers helped by providing more than 2,300 reels of old Elvis footage.

Baz Luhrmann is known for his close involvement with music, and served as executive music producer on this project. He’s credited Jamieson Shaw, a frequent collaborator, as the overall music producer, responsible for blending newly recorded tracks with classic songs. Several of Luhrmann’s previous collaborators also contributed, including composer Elliott Wheeler, who worked on his film Elvis. Bryan Patrick and Kim Green, who previously handled music supervision, returned to take on new roles as well.

Omer Fedi has produced a remix of ‘Always On My Mind.’ He’s a successful producer and writer, with credits on popular songs by artists like Rosé (of Blackpink), Bruno Mars, Lil Nas X, Royel Otis, and Sam Smith.

The film features more than 70 songs performed by Elvis Presley, including live recordings from his Las Vegas shows and tours, rehearsal footage, and beloved tracks from throughout his career. It also includes memorable covers of songs by artists like The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Ray Charles, Dusty Springfield, Bob Dylan, Three Dog Night, Brenda Lee, Edwin Hawkins, and The Righteous Brothers.

Gracious to Gracelands….

While filming Elvis, director Baz Luhrmann spent eighteen months working from an office at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he met Angie Marchese, Graceland’s VP of Archives and Exhibits, who shared newly discovered 8mm footage of Elvis performing in Hawaii. Luhrmann’s experiences at Graceland and the connections he made there greatly influenced both the film Elvis and the concert experience EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.

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2026-02-20 21:24