Baz Luhrmann's EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a wonderful, humanizing look at the King of Rock and Roll like we've never seen. A fantastic blend of documentary and concert, with Elvis narrating his own story. This one is out on 8/11, with a limited edition steel book in the works scheduled to be released later this year.
“For the first time, Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, tells his own story through candid conversations and dazzling performance footage from the early days of his Vegas residency. Witness never-before-seen archival footage unearthed for the first time. Visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann presents an intimate and riveting cinematic portrait of the greatest performer of all time.”
While researching and preparing his 2022 biopic Elvis, Baz Luhrmann learned of long-rumored unused footage shot for the 1970 concert film Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and its 1972 companion Elvis on Tour. That search led his team deep into Warner Bros. archival vaults located in underground salt mines in Kansas, where they unearthed roughly 59–65 hours of previously unseen 35mm, 16mm, and other film material across dozens of boxes. What began as research for the biopic evolved into a multi-year restoration project. With additional rare 8mm home-movie material from the Graceland archives and rediscovered audio recordings of Elvis speaking openly about his life and career, Luhrmann and editor Jonathan Redmond crafted EPiC into an immersive concert documentary. The footage was painstakingly cleaned and restored with assistance from Peter Jackson’s team for theatrical and IMAX presentation.
The rediscovered interview material allows Elvis to narrate in his own words, revealing humor, vulnerability, perfectionism, and reflection. Combined with intimate rehearsal moments and electric stage performances, the film offers a genuine glimpse into his thoughts, feelings, and presence as a person rather than pure icon or persona. It captures him at a peak of charisma and power in the early 1970s Vegas years: raw, charismatic, occasionally eccentric, and deeply human.
The result is one of Luhrmann’s most critically acclaimed works, a thrilling and emotional experience that serves as both electrifying concert film and intimate portrait. Performances of his classic songs and covers are thrilling, while the quieter moments and Elvis’s own voice give the film the emotional depth and insight into a man who let fame consume him.
Video
The 4K UHD release presents the meticulously restored archival footage in 2160p with Dolby Vision/HDR10. The anamorphic 35mm Vegas material looks particularly sharp and vibrant, while the 16mm and 8mm elements retain their distinctive character. Detail, color, and contrast benefit enormously from the restoration work, making this the definitive way to experience the film at home.
Audio
Audio is offered in immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with strong theatrical-style mixes translated well). The live performances and restored sound are dynamic and detailed, placing the viewer right in the International Hotel showroom. Elvis’s interview audio is clear and intimate.
Special Features
This release comes with a slip cover, 4k disc and Blu-ray. No digital code is included.
The initial 4K/Blu-ray release is relatively lean on extras, focusing on the film itself. A later special-edition Steelbook has been announced, but no official word on any additional extras besides the trailer for the film included here.
Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert on 4K is a triumphant rediscovery. By transforming long-buried footage found during the making of his earlier Elvis project into a vivid, personal portrait, Luhrmann has given audiences a rare chance to experience the King as a living, breathing artist. A real treat for Elvis fans and newcomers alike, and a standout concert documentary in its own right.
