"Elvis" (in theaters June 24) tracks three decades in the life and career of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, played by former Nickelodeon and Disney Channel actor Austin Butler.
But as Luhrmann explained to theater owners at CinemaCon Tuesday, "this isn't really a biopic." Rather, the movie "is about America in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s," viewed through the prism of Presley's astronomical rise and fall.
"You will hear the classics, you will see the story of Elvis, but we’ve also translated that for a younger generation," Luhrmann said.
So what does that mean? For starters, rapper Doja Cat samples "Hound Dog" on a booming new track that played over footage shown to convention-goers Tuesday.
Priscilla Presley Gives Elvis Biopic Her Seal of Approval, Says Austin Butler Is 'Outstanding'
"It is a true story told brilliantly and creatively," Priscilla Presley wrote of the upcoming Elvis Presley biopic, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, which premieres June 24 in theaters