Michael Shannon Circling Elvis Presley Role

Man of Steel and Boardwalk Empire actor Michael Shannon is reportedly circling the role of Elvis Presley in a new movie.

Showbiz 411 claims Shannon is "said to be signing on to play Presley" in a film about the late King of Rock n' Roll's famous meeting with President Richard Nixon in 1970. This movie will be produced by the Dallas Buyers Club team of Holly Wiersma and Logan Levy.

"Even I can't believe they want me to play Elvis."

It's not clear if this project is the same movie as Elvis & Nixon, which had Eric Bana and Danny Huston attached to star as Elvis and Nixon, respectively, before it fell apart back in 2011. It was to have marked the feature film directing debut of Saw and Princess Bride star Cary Elwes.

During the the 1970 meeting at the White House between Nixon and Elvis, the King asked the President to make him a special federal agent-at-large in the war on drugs (ironic considering what would kill him just seven years later). Elvis walked right into the Oval Office with a gift for the President: A Colt .45 pistol!

The encounter served as the basis for Showtime's 1997 pic Elvis Meets Nixon, starring Rick Peters (Dexter) and Bob Gunton (The Shawshank Redemption) as Nixon.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com