Paramount+ announced today a new documentary based on Elvis’ return to the music industry with his ’68 Comeback Special, coming to NBC.
Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback’ Documentary reveals what really happened behind the scenes of this mesmerizing hour of television. After it aired, the special became the most-watched television event of the year with nearly half of the TV-watching audience tuned in to watch Presley perform in his iconic black leather suit. New versions of Elvis’ iconic hits interpreted by contemporary musicians Darius Rucker, Latin GRAMMY winner Maffio, and America’s Got Talent finalist Drake Milligan are also slated for release.
Told from Emmy-award-winning television director Steve Binder’s perspective, Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback’ Documentary features interviews with Elvis experts and recollections from those who attended the special in-person. Binder directed the landmark television event that Elvis was largely apprehensive of doing after feeling burned out by doing television. It’s because of Binder’s honesty about the state of Elvis’ career that emboldened him to do the special.
“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, because it presents Elvis as he really was, and looks at a specific moment in time — when Elvis took control of his life, his career, and his legacy. There’s never been a television moment quite like this one.”
Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback 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. Additionally, for a limited time, the film will screen in hundreds of movie theaters worldwide.
