Thursday, October 3, 2024

Paging Michael Shannon to Play Elvis in New Film

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It does seem like Michael Shannon can do just about anything. From “Boardwalk Empire” to one man shows off Broadway to General Zod in “Man of Steel,” Shannon has shown he a lot of range as an actor. His next  job, though may be his toughest assignment yet.

I am told that Shannon is circling the role of Elvis Presley for a new film about Elvis’s famous White House meeting with Richard Nixon. The photo of Elvis and Nixon is classic one and it’s already inspired a TV Movie from long ago in 1997. But a new film has been written, and Shannon is said to be signing on to play Presley.

elvis and nixonOf course, this Elvis is an older one. He met Nixon at the White House on December 21, 1970. He brought the president a gun, talked smack about the Beatles being anti-American, and in exchange received a sheriff’s badge. Nixon sent him a letter after the bizarre meeting. And bizarre it was because Elvis had literally run away from Graceland after a fight with his father over is overspending.

Shannon should be great at this. Who will play Nixon? Certainly not Frank Langella or John Cusack. But producers Holly Wiersma and Logan Levy, riding high on “Dallas Buyers Club,” will undoubtely find a star to match Shannon. Can’t wait!

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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