I am not sure what mad genius thought that casting Michael Shannon as Elvis Presley ad Kevin Spacey as Richard Nixon, but I definitely want to shake their hand. The normally taciturn and stone-faced Shannon as the undoubtedly high on goofballs Presley just arriving unannounced at the White House asking for a meeting with Spacey portraying the shifty pile of paranoia that was Nixon is almost the definition of playing against type. And judging from what we get to see in the trailer below, it looks like both actors are rising to the challenge.
The story of the legendarily bizarre and very real December 21, 1970 meeting between the King of Rock and Roll and the President of the United States has been told before in a 1997 made-for-Showtime TV movie but is such a weird story, even going by the participants involved, that it bears a retelling. Indie director Liza Johnson is more known for her family-centric dramas but from the looks of the trailer, she is certainly bringing the required energy to the film.
In addition to Shannon and Spacey, Elvis & Nixon also stars Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, Colin Hanks, Ashley Benson, Evan Peters, and Sky Ferreira. It hits theaters on April 15.
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