“Elvis” is still the King.
Baz Luhrmann’s unwieldly, gaudy, sometimes spectacular film about the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is an unlikely hit. And a bellwether maybe for older movie patrons returning to theaters.
Total weekend take was $30.5 million. Elvis has not left the building! (And the final number will be a tad higher.)
The success of “Elvis” will bring a trend story: are the 50s back? Are audiences clamoring for nostalgia and a simpler time because of the current unrest and uncertainty in the country and world today? Hey, maybe.
Or maybe they just want to see a tremendous central performance, music they love, and really cool costumes. That could be it, too!
For Warner Bros, the “Elvis” success is also nice because it’s not connected to DC Comics. Elvis wears a cape but he’s an anti-super hero. The studio in the couple of years prior to the pandemic could not make such a movie fly. They had flop after flop in the “adult” movie department. “Elvis” is a vindication.
