THE ACTRESS’ FAMILY
URGES HER TO
LEAVEHERPARTNERAUSTIN BUTLER IS CAST AS ELVIS PRESLEY
IN THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED BIOPIC‘Let him go’
THE UPCOMING BIOPIC OF ELVIS
Presley has officially got its leading
man. Following an intense casting
contest, Austin Butler, 27, has
scored the role of Presley, Warner
Bros confirmed on July 16.
The likes of Ansel Elgort,
Harry Styles and Miles Teller were
reportedly tested for the gig, but
it was won by Butler, a Nickelodeon
and Disney Channel alumni who
made his Broadway debut in
The Iceman Cometh in 2018.
Butler announced his new role via
Instagram, by quoting from Presley’s
hit ‘Love Me Tender’: “You have made
my life complete, and I love you so.”The news was met with support from
Australian director Baz Luhrmann,
who said: “I knew I couldn’t make
this film if the casting wasn’t
absolutely right, and we searched
thoroughly for an actor with the
ability to evoke the singular natural
movement and vocal qualities of
this peerless star, but also the inner
vulnerability of the artist.
“Through a journey of extensive
screen testing and music and
performance workshops, I knew
unequivocally that I had found
someone who could embody the
spirit of one of the world’s most
iconic musical figures.” •HAYDEN PANETTIERE’S FAMILY
and friends are ‘begging’ her
to leave her allegedly abusive
boyfriend, Brian Hickerson. While
the aspiring actor faces a felony
charge in connection with an
alleged domestic violence incident,
a source tells WHO Panettiere’s loved
ones “are begging her to straighten
up and move ahead”.
“It is totally out of control and
she has to get over this guy,” the
source says of the Nashville star.
“Her friends and family have been
worried about her for quite a while
and things seem to have gotten
worse,” the source adds. “She needs
todo some soul-searching. For
whatever reason, she continues
this relationship, but it has done
nothing but take her down lower.
It’s a sad situation.”
Panettiere, 29, was first linked to
Hickerson in August 2018, after she
and fiancé Wladimir Klitschko (the
father of her 4-year-old daughter,
Kaya) split. “Hayden needs to
surround herself with different types
ofpeople and get a handle on both
her personal and professional life,” the
source says. “It’s hard to imagine things
getting any worse, but they could.” •THE NEW KING
The American
actress with Brian
Hickerson.
HAYDEN
PANETTIERE
Panettiere with
Wladimir Klitschko,
her former fiancé
and the father of
their daughter, Kaya,
whom he raises in
his native Ukraine.CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: GETTY IMAGES(2);SPLASH NEWS; INSTAGRAM (3);GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCKButler has
a striking
resemblance
to Presley.Who l 11