They say that truth is stranger than fiction, but could a fictionalized account of a real-life event be even stranger? That seems to be the goal of Elvis & Nixon, a humorous take on the improbable meeting between the King of Rock and Roll and America’s uptight 37th president.
The casting here will certainly raise eyebrows, with Michael Shannon playing Elvis and Kevin Spacey taking on Nixon. Shannon is perhaps best known for his terrifying stillness (he’s literally played a serial killer called The Iceman), but he seems to have embraced the broad weirdness that this film offers up.
Spacey has done more comedy, but it tends to be rather wry stuff. He’ll need to flex his comedy chops to keep up with what Shannon appears to be cooking. Still, if they and the rest of the team can pull off this tonal tightrope, Elvis & Nixon could turn out to be a delightful entry in everyone’s catalogue.
Elvis & Nixon is directed by Liza Johnson. It stars Michael Shannon and Kevin Spacey, with Colin Hanks, Evan Peters, and Alex Pettyfer also slated to star. It will be released in the U.S. on April 15th, 2016 and the U.K. on April 29th, 2016. Other release dates are not currently known.
Do you think Elvis & Nixon will turn out as a fun romp or a flaming disaster? Tell us below!
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