Baz Luhrmann reveals 4-hour version of Elvis film exists

Baz Luhrmann has revealed there is a four-hour version of his 'Elvis' film.

The 59-year-old director recently helmed the two-hour 39-minutes movie, which stars Austin Butler as titular music legend Elvis Presley, but there is also a longer cut in existence.

He said: "I mean, I have a four-hour version, actually.

"I do. But you have to bring it down to 2 hours 30."

Luhrmann would've like to have included more about Elvis' romance with his first girlfriend, Dixie, as well as his relationship with his band in the motion picture.

The film tells of Elvis' childhood and his rise to stardom as well as his relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).

Luhrmann added to RadioTimes.com: "I would have liked to lean into some of the other things more – there's so much more.

"I mean, there's lots of stuff that I shot like the relationship with the band, I had to pare [that] down – and it's so interesting how the Colonel [Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks] gets rid of them.

"The relationship with his first girlfriend, Dixie, you know. And later on how... once he's caught in a trap, and he's discombobulated and doesn't understand ... someone who's got such a hole in his heart like Elvis constantly looking and searching for love and finding it on stage but nowhere else."

Butler recently admitted he felt an "immense amount of fear" playing Elvis.

He said: "I felt such a responsibility to Elvis, his family, all the people around the world who love him so much. So it was an incredible amount of pressure – and with that comes an immense amount of fear.

"I started feeling this energetic exchange. And so I allowed my imagination to just truly accept that this is the '68 Special', I'm doing this for this audience right now. My career is on the line.

"I looked at myself in the mirror – I'm dressed in the leather, covered in sweat. And I had this moment where suddenly I was like, 'OK I can do this.' "