For Elvis, prosthetic designers Jason Baird and Mark Coulier thought the bulk of their work would be transforming Tom Hanks into Colonel Tom Parker. They were surprised to find that the real challenge was the subtle changes for Austin Butler as Elvis throughout the film. Baz Luhrmann’s biopic takes a 20-year look at the unprecedented superstardom of the legendary Elvis Presley (Austin Butler.) The story is told through the eyes of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), as he navigates Presley’s career through rock ’n’ roll, Hollywood movies, and a Las Vegas residency. As he aged, the prosthetics on Elvis needed to change gradually, to create an almost imperceptible difference to simulate his natural aging.
