Eric Bana cast as Elvis Presley in ‘Elvis & Nixon’

One of the more famous photographs from Elvis Presley’s latter career is the King of Rock shaking hands with President Richard M. Nixon. Presley visited Nixon on Dec. 21, 1970. A new film, titled Elvis & Nixon, about their relationship, is set to begin production. Former Hulk star Eric Bana has been cast as Elvis in the film.

Bana is also set to executive produce the film through his Pick Up Truck Pictures production company. It will be directed by rookie director Cary Elwes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Danny Huston, who starred in the HBO film You Don’t Know Jack, is in talks to play Nixon.

According to Variety, which first broke the news, Elwes began writing the script with Joey Sagal and Hanala Sagal after he learned about the story behind Elvis’s meeting with Nixon. Elvis had written a letter to Nixon, hoping that he would become a ‘Federal Agent-at-large’ for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Broadway World notes that Elwes’ recent scripts include Justin Timberlake’s No Strings Attached and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn for director Steven Spielberg.

Bana will join a group of many major Don Johnson and Kurt Russell as actors who have played Elvis. Huston will join Frank Lengella and Anthony Hopkins, who have both also played Nixon in films.