Elvis is coming back into the building, specifically, movie theaters. Warner Bros. Discovery has shared plans to have the 2022 Elvis movie starring Austin Butler play in select movie theaters across North America for free in celebration of what would have been Elvis' 88th birthday on Sunday, January 8.
Starring Butler and Tom Hanks and directed by Baz Luhrmann, Elvis was one of the big hits of the 2022 movie slate. Chronicling the King's life in the glitz and glamour that Luhrmann is known for, the movie earned $286 million worldwide at the box office and is "Certified Fresh" from Rotten Tomatoes. It is also believed to be a big contender for awards at the 2023 Oscars.
Though Elvis is available to stream on HBO Max right now, that requires a monthly subscription to the streaming service. This one-day event is allowing people in 10 US and Canada markets to see Elvis on the big screen at no cost to them, with tickets going on a first-come, first-served basis from this website. Here are the locations participating in this free screening of Elvis:
- Atlanta — AMC Phipps Plaza
- Chicago — AMC River East 21
- Dallas — AMC NorthPark 15
- Kansas City, Kan. — AMC Town Center 20, Leawood
- Los Angeles — AMC Burbank
- Memphis — Graceland Guest House Theater
- New York City — AMC Loews 34th Street
- San Francisco — AMC Metreon
- Toronto — Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
- Vancouver — Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas
All showings beside Los Angeles and at Graceland take place at 5 pm local time. The Graceland screening, which also has a special place to grab tickets here, begins at 2 pm local time, while the Los Angeles screening takes place at 4 pm local time.
In addition to showing the Elvis movie, the screenings are going to feature an introduction from Luhrmann and Butler.
"No one was more appreciative of his fans than Elvis, as evidenced by the pilgrimage so many make to Graceland every year," stated Joel Weinshanker, managing partner and majority owner, Elvis Presley Enterprises. "That's why we are especially thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. on the occasion of Elvis Presley's birthday, to add to our robust lineup for fans the gift of Baz Luhrmann's incomparable film Elvis — whether they are seeing it for the first time or, as we suspect, able to repeat the big screen experience they've undoubtedly been hoping for."
If you can't grab tickets to one of these screenings in time or aren't in a place where free Elvis screenings are taking place, again, you can watch the movie on HBO Max, which is also premiering a new 30-minute special, Just a Boy from Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen, depicting what made Elvis a phenom and the making of the movie.
Sirius XM radio is also going to rebroadcast the Elvis Cast Town Hall featuring Luhrmann, Butler, Hanks and Olivia DeJonge on Elvis Radio (channel 75).
Check out the trailer in case you need any more convincing to watch Elvis.
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