‘Elvis’ Star Austin Butler and Director Baz Luhrmann Honor Lisa Marie Presley: ‘My Heart Is Completely Shattered’ - Variety

“Elvis” manager Baz Luhrmann and prima Austin Butler person paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley, the instrumentalist and lone kid of Elvis Presley, who died connected Thursday astatine the property of 54 aft suffering cardiac arrest.

“My bosom is wholly shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper and Priscilla astatine the tragic and unexpected nonaccomplishment of Lisa Marie,” Butler said successful a connection to Variety. “I americium eternally grateful for the clip I was fortunate capable to beryllium adjacent her agleam airy and volition everlastingly cherish the quiescent moments we shared. Her warmth, her emotion and her authenticity volition ever beryllium remembered.”

Baz Luhrmann added successful an Instagram post: “Over the past year, the full Elvis movie household and I person felt the privilege of Lisa Marie’s benignant embrace. Her sudden, shocking nonaccomplishment has devastated radical each astir the world. I cognize her fans everyplace articulation maine successful sharing prayers of emotion and enactment with her mother, Priscilla, and her fantastic daughters Riley, Finley and Harper. Lisa Marie, we volition miss your warmth, your smile, your love.”

Butler, Luhrmann and Presley were conscionable unneurotic connected Tuesday nighttime astatine the Golden Globes, wherever Butler took location the grant for champion histrion successful a question representation play for his show successful “Elvis.” They besides attended a pre-Globes enactment connected Sunday, wherever they celebrated what would person been Elvis’ 88th birthday.

“I americium truthful overwhelmed by this movie and the effect that it’s had and what Austin’s done. I’m truthful proud. I cognize that my begetter would besides beryllium precise proud,” Presley said astatine the event.

At a caller screening of the movie arsenic portion of Variety‘s Artisans Screening Series, Luhrmann opened up astir his interactions with the Presley family. “Lisa Marie said to me, ‘I’ve ne'er supported a movie astir Elvis, but I’ll enactment you,'” helium said.

He took a infinitesimal to clarify that the Presley property was nary longer owned by Lisa Marie, who sold it successful 2005. But she inactive maintained 100% sole ownership of the household home, Graceland. Luhrmann revealed Presley had fixed him entree to the location and helium had acceptable up an bureau determination for 18 months portion preparing for the film.

Tom Hanks, who played Colonel Tom Parker successful the film, besides remembered Presley connected Instagram Thursday nighttime on with his woman Rita Wilson.

“Lisa Marie was truthful honorable and direct, vulnerable, successful a authorities of anticipation astir the movie,” Hanks and Wilson wrote. “She spoke truthful eloquently astir her father, what the movie meant to her, that it was a solemnisation of her dad.”