Riley Keough says she didn’t want to star in Elvis biopic about her grandfather

Riley Keough has said she did not want to star in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic about her grandfather, Elvis Presely.

Lurhmann’s forthcoming film – titled Elvis – sees Austin Butler (The Carrie Diaries and Zoey 101) portraying the Mississippi-born musical legend.

Being Presley’s granddaughter, Keough (previously The Girlfriend Experience, Zola, Mad Max: Fury Road) fielded some questions about the forthcoming film at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

As per Indiewire, the actor said that she had no interest in starring in the biopic, adding that the subject is “a little too close”.

“It’s intense enough to watch, I don’t want to act in it,” she said. “It was never a conversation. I think there was a boundary there that felt respected in a nice way.

Keough said that although Luhrmann consulted the Presley family members before shooting the movie, he ultimately had creative control over Elvis.

“It wasn’t like I distrusted Baz in any way, but you’re protective over your family,” she said.

The 32-year-old went on to explain how watching the film had been “very intense”, adding that she “started crying five minutes in and didn’t stop”.

“There’s a lot of family trauma and generational trauma that started around then for our family. I felt honoured they worked so hard to really get his essence, to feel his essence.”

Elvis also stars Olivia DeJonge, Tom Hanks, Yola Quartey, Kelvin Harrison Jr, and The Power of the Dog’s Kodi Smit-McPhee.

The film is slated for a theatrical release on 24 June.