Baz Luhrmann moved by Priscilla Presley's Elvis praise

Baz Luhrmann has been moved by Priscilla Presley's praise for 'Elvis'

The 59-year-old filmmaker was emotional as he reflected on Priscilla's review of the biopic – which features Austin Butler as the King of Rock and Roll – in which she described the flick about her late former husband as "outstanding".

At a press conference for the movie, Baz said: "No critique, no review was ever going to mean more to us than the one from the woman who was married to him.

"She said: 'If my husband was here today, he'd say, 'Hot damn, you are me'... it was the best review I've ever had."

The film stars Tom Hanks as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker, who was infamous for cheating the music icon out of a fair share of royalties for his songs, but the actor believes that his alter ego should be recognised for his part in making Elvis a megastar.

Hanks said: "I've heard from many people that he was a delightful guy, lit up every room. Was he a cheap crook who played fast and loose with the money? Yeah, (but) he brought joy to everything he did. With just a little bit of larceny.

"Baz said there was no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker, it was a completely symbiotic relationship. You have to give him credit and see the reality that the amount of ways Colonel Parker cheated people out of nickles and dimes was extraordinary."

Luhrmann's movie follows Elvis from his childhood poverty through his emergence as a global superstar before his untimely death at the age of just 42 in 1977 and the director wants audiences to have an immersive experience when watching the film.

The 'Moulin Rouge!' director said: "I want the audience who don't care about Elvis to feel what it was like to be there (when he first performed). He was the original punk rocker."