Baz Luhrmann is hard at work on his forthcoming Elvis biopic. One thing is certain: Tom Hanks will portray Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker. When it comes to who’s playing the iconic King of Rock ‘n Roll, there’s a battle going on. Harry Styles and Ansel Elgort are the two leading this important race.

Life After One Direction

Styles is mostly known for his former boy band One Direction. In 2017, he made his acting debut in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. Styles knew that working with Nolan would be a major career move. “Being a fan of Chris’ movies and being on set with him, it’s hard not to be in awe of him. You definitely feel like you don’t want to let him down. It’s a big part of the nerves,” he told OK! Australia.

Nolan didn’t realize just how popular Styles was in the music world. “I don’t think I was that aware really of how famous Harry was. I mean, my daughter had talked about him. My kids talked about him, but I wasn’t really that aware of it. So the truth is, I cast Harry because he fit the part wonderfully and truly earned a seat at the table,” the director told Entertainment Weekly.

A Boy Like That

Much like Styles, Elgort has a music career of his own as a producer. Under the name Ansølo, he’s performed at major festivals such as Electric Zoo Festival and Ultra Music Festival. In 2017, he started releasing music under his own name. That same year, he was featured on Logic’s platinum-selling album Everybody.

In the acting side, he’s gained praise for his work on The Fault in Our Stars and The Divergent Series. He’s currently filming the Hollywood adaptation of West Side Story, which releases on December 18, 2020. In this film, he’ll be portraying former Jets member Tony. For Elgort, this was the role of his dreams. “This is the first time I got a role in my life where I was in tears. I called my parents. They were in tears,” he told W Magazine.

Here Comes A New Challenger

While Styles and Elgort are in the lead, there’s still a couple more actors looking to play Elvis. Miles Teller starred alongside Elgort in The Divergent Series as Peter Hayes. The actor earned high praise for his work in 2014’s Whiplash, which was directed by Damien Chazelle. In 2011, he portrayed Willard Hewitt in the Hollywood adaptation of Footloose. What makes special is he played the same role at his high school musical. He also has the upper hand when it comes to biopics. He’s portrayed David Packouz in War Dogs and Vinny Pazienza in Bleed for This.

The fourth person looking to play Elvis is Austin Butler, who recently appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Last year, he made his Broadway debut in The Iceman Cometh. Since 2011, he’s been in a relationship with actress Vanessa Hudgens.

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Playing Elvis is a major deal for all of these actors. Folks such as Kurt Russell and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers have both earned praise for their portrayals. Russell’s performance gained him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special. For his work, Rhys-Meyers won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.

Big screen portrayals of Elvis has always shied away from the truth with goofy antics. Fortunately, Luhrmann will make sure fans can an accurate glimpse into his world. He’ll be making the tough choice of who plays Elvis in his flick soon. The Elvis biopic is slated to be released in 2021 through Warner Bros.