Lana Del Rey Wants to Play Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Movie, Report Claims

Director Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming movie documenting the life of Elvis Presley is set to film early next year in Queensland, Australia, with Austin Butler having recently been cast as the late singer.

A film following Presley’s rise to stardom will no doubt touch on his relationship with ex-wife Priscilla Presley, and a report from Radar Online claims that singer Lana Del Rey wants to take on the role.

“Lana feels it’s a role she was born to play,” an insider claimed. “She’s has her agent badgering Baz for months now, hoping to get her cast. Lana looks just like Priscilla and has decided there’s no way she won’t get the part.”

Despite the singer’s reported enthusiasm, her lack of acting experience is reportedly a source of doubt for Luhrmann.

“Baz is nervous because she hasn’t exactly proved her acting chops, but it’s her lifelong dream to break onto the big screen,” the source said, adding, “[Lana]’s been driving her friend Kristen Stewart crazy, badgering her for method acting tips at every opportunity.”

PopCulture.com reached out to Del Rey’s team for a comment, but has not heard back.

Presley responded to the report while speaking to The Blast outside LAX, noting, “I like Lana.” She also said that she is “in touch with Baz, I know what’s going on” in regards to the film.

Along with Butler, the film will star Tom Hanks as Presley’s longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Luhrmann’s film will “trace Presley’s elevation to a level of stardom and celebrity matched only by The Beatles, set against an evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America” and will reportedly heavily focus on Elvis’ relationship with Parker.

“I knew I couldn’t make this film if the casting wasn’t absolutely right, and we searched thoroughly for an actor with the ability to evoke the singular natural movement and vocal qualities of this peerless star, but also the inner vulnerability of the artist,” Luhrmann said in a statement to Deadline. “Throughout the casting process, it was an honor for me to encounter such a vast array of talent. I had heard about Austin Butler from his stand-out role opposite Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”

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