New Elvis Presley Project Dropping on HBO Max Next Week

Warner Bros. is adding a new Elvis Presley special to HBO Max to mark his birthday on Sunday, Jan. 8. Just a Boy from Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen is a new feature on the making of Baz Luhrmann’s epic movie about the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Elvis is also available on the streamer.

Just a Boy from Tupelo “offers viewers the opportunity to see the phenomenon that was Elvis Presley and the making of Baz Luhrmann’s film, Elvis,” HBO Max said in a statement. The special appears to be different from the bonus features included in the Blu-ray release of Elvis. HBO Max is also streaming the HBO documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher, Presley’s hit 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas, and the concert films Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972).

The new documentary is part of Warner Bros.’ big awards season push for Elvis, which could be one of the few blockbuster hits nominated for the Best Picture Oscar this year. Warner Bros. also plans to host free screenings in 10 cities on Jan. 8, as well as a special screening at Graceland in Memphis. Luhrmann and actor Austin Butler recorded a new introduction.

SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio channel will also re-air the Elvis cast town hall from Jan. 6 to 8, featuring Luhrmann, Butler, Tom Hanks, and Olivia DeJonge. Warner Bros. also teamed up with the National Film and Sound Archives of Australia for the Making of Elvis exhibit at Elvis Presley’s Memphis, which is opening on Jan. 8. Graceland will also start offering Elvis Movie Ultimate VIP Tours from Jan. 9 to Feb. 28.

“We are so appreciative of the audiences of all ages who came out to see the movie in theaters, and to Warner Bros. and exhibitors who took on what was certainly not a sure bet,” Luhrmann said in a statement to Deadline. “A big thank you to audiences who made Elvis the number one original title of 2022 and especially to Elvis’s fans-both old and new.The entire Elvis team, along with Graceland and the Presleys themselves, have been listening to you all and working diligently to come up with these very special gifts in celebration of Elvis on his birthday.”

Elvis can claim the title of highest-grossing original movie of 2022, with $286 million globally. Only about 52% of its total came from North America, so its success proves that Presley is still a global phenomenon. The film was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Drama. Butler and Luhrmann were also nominated for Best Actor and Best Director, respectively. The movie’s soundtrack also picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.