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 pop culture for decades to come, will play on more than 800 screens worldwide beginning July 30th. Distributed theatrically by Rubey Entertainment, the special one-day-only presentations will be accompanied by cinema-exclusive 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. Moviegoers will also enjoy the debut of a music video by Latin music artist Maffio, offering a salsa twist on Presley’s ever-popular “Blue Suede Shoes.” The theatrical release of Reinventing Elvis comes two weeks before the film makes its global streaming debut on Paramount+.
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 December 3rd, 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 career. Told from the unique perspective of Emmy award-winning television director Steve Binder, the documentary 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, including Darius Rucker, Maffio, and Drake Milligan.
“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 Steve 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.”
The documentary’s director John Scheinfeld added, “Elvis had an amazing career in the movies — he really was a movie star, and a star in every sense of the word. So, it’s incredibly fitting that our film will first be available to fans on the big screen, before coming to streaming, where audiences worldwide will be able to discover this amazing story that changed more than Elvis Presley — it changed the trajectory of popular culture.”
For tickets and showtimes, visit ReinventingElvis.com.
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