Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback Coming To Movie Theaters

07-30-2023

Film poster

(2911) Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback, the new feature-length documentary about the making of the television special that revitalized Elvis Presley's career and influenced music, television, and pop culture for decades to come, will play on more than 800 movie screens worldwide beginning July 30th for special one-day-only presentations.

The film, distributed theatrically by Rubey Entertainment on behalf of and in partnership with Spencer Proffer's Meteor 17 production company, will be accompanied by special cinema-only material, including an introduction by legendary TV director Steve Binder, who brought the special to the screen, and additional scenes that aren't in the final film, in addition to the debut of two new videos.

"Blue Suede Shoes," one of Elvis's most well-known hits, is also showcased in a new recording-heard first in REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK-by America's Got Talent finalist Drake Milligan, who previously starred in CMT's hit series Sun Records, also streaming on Paramount+. Latin GRAMMY winner Maffio contributes a new song, the Spanish salsa "Attitude," hoping to have the same impact and inspired by the classic song, inspired by "Blue Suede Shoes." In addition, three-time Grammy Award winner Darius Rucker offers a new rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" as part of the documentary.

The one-day-only cinematic presentation of REINVENTING ELVIS comes two weeks before the film makes its global streaming debut on Paramount+.

Produced by acclaimed music and film producer Spencer Proffer via his company Meteor 17, REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK is directed by noted documentary filmmaker John Scheinfeld and executive produced by Bruce Gillmer and Steve Binder.

Premiering days before the anniversary of Presley's death, REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK reveals what really happened behind the scenes of this mesmerizing hour of television. When it aired on the night of Dec. 3, 1968, the special became the most-watched television event of the year, and nearly half of the entire TV-watching audience tuned in to see Elvis Presley, clad in an iconic black leather suit, deliver some of the greatest performances of his life, reinvigorating his career and changing the pop-culture landscape forever.

Told from the unique perspective of Emmy Award-winning television director Steve Binder, REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK features interviews with Elvis experts and recollections from those who attended the special in-person, as well as all-new versions of iconic Elvis hits interpreted by contemporary musicians.

"The world is filled with stories about Elvis and his historic 1968 Comeback Special, but no one has ever told this story the way only I can tell it - because I was there for every moment of it," said Binder. "I'm so proud of this film and am really excited that a legion of Elvis fans worldwide is going to have an opportunity to first experience it in theaters."

Film producer Spencer Proffer added, "I'm proud to continue my decades-long professional and personal association with Steve Binder - one of the most innovative creators in entertainment. Steve broke molds in the relentless pursuit of making electrifying, bar-raising magic on the television screen. The story of how he and Elvis came together to create such an unforgettable hour of entertainment is one we always knew would make an amazing movie, so we're enormously excited that it will be debuting in movie theaters."

Documentary director John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Who is Harry Nilsson ...?, What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat, and Tears) added, "From 1961 until the Comeback Special aired in December of 1968, the only place Elvis could be seen was in one of his movies playing in theatres around the world. I can't be more excited that audiences will be having that same big-screen Elvis experience with our film. We worked hard to make it worthy of being shown in so many theatres globally and to do justice to Elvis, Steve Binder, and this amazing story."

Following its release in theaters for this one-afternoon event, REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK SPECIAL will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ Tuesday, August 15, in the U.S. and Canada, and internationally on Wednesday, August 16, in the U.K., Latin America, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.