New Elvis Concert Doc Grosses $23 Million Worldwide; Puts You in the Front Row at Vegas Shows

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By Gregory Crofton

An archival doc about the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Elvis Presley is poised to be a big hit for theatrical documentaries when the industry badly needs a win.

Baz Luhrmann’s “EPiC: Elvis Presley Live in Concert” opened on IMAX screens last weekend, grossing more than $9,800 per screen, according to Box Office Mojo.

Doubters might say — “Of course it’s a hit, it’s about Elvis!” — but Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, Elvis) hits the right notes by taking us front row to witness peak Elvis performing live in Las Vegas.

While Luhrmann made “Elvis,” a biopic about Presley released in 2022, the director uncovered reels of concert film stored in a converted salt mine just west of Kansas City where Hollywood put overflow keepsakes including film, costumes and props.

The doc draws from 65 reels of concert film shot in 1970 and 1972 during the Elvis’ casino residency at The International Hotel, according to the Wall Street Journal. The King performed at the hotel from 1969 to 1976, sometimes two or three shows a night, setting a record for 636 consecutive sell outs.

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Elvis overnight success in 1956 with the No. 1 single “Heartbreak Hotel” followed by his drug-fueled flameout at only 42 years old in 1977 made it difficult to really know what made him great to many. This film changes that. It gives the generations who turn out to see a chance to discover his charisma and where it came from.

The footage found by Luhrmann had no sound to go with it, and it needed to be restored. The hour and 36-minute feature reportedly cost $10 million to make, according to Los Angeles Times.

Luhrmann hired Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production to do the restoration work, while other researchers pieced together live concert tracks to match the footage. The element that defines the doc is an audio interview of Elvis that allows the superstar narrate his own story.

Luhrmann is Australian-born but his filmmaking style is art deco and AMERICA writ large. That was Elvis’ style too so in a sense it’s a great match.

But why was this man so popular? He was passionate about music first and foremost. He was humble and relatable. He was talented, but didn’t write his songs.

He wasn’t very funny and his voice was not THAT great, but he was cool and turned R&B and Rockabilly into Rock ‘n’ Roll! He liked to sign autographs and loved his fans. He loved to sing and wore superhero outfits.

He was ELVIS! And now I think I know why there will never be another Mississippian like him.

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