Tom Hanks Was So Concerned for Austin Butler’s Mental Health After ‘Elvis’ That He Offered Him a Next Role Immediately to Prevent ‘Emotional Whiplash’

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Don’t let the word “bike” fool you. In Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders,” the wheels in question are choppers — good, all-American motorcycles, built from the ground up by tough guys in leather jackets — and the “club” they’re a part of is really more of a gang.

Austin Butler landed a Best Actor nomination at the 2023 Oscars for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann‘s Elvis. However, he wasn’t guaranteed the role.

Biker movies are almost a subgenre of films unto themselves, beginning with Marlon Brando’s The Wild One in the early ’50s and then through all those AIP exploitation titles of the ’60s including The Wild Angels, Hells Angels on Wheels and many more, notably Tom Laughlin’s predecessor to Billy Jack called Born Losers, all culminating with Easy Rider with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, which became the Citizen Kane of biker cinema.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Jeff Nichols brings pure Americana to the Telluride Film Festival with his luscious period drama “The Bikeriders,” which feels like the distant older cousin of “The Outsiders.” It stands as his single best directorial outing, and in tow are a trio of invigorating performances from Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, all putting their stamp on an awards season that will be undoubtedly competitive. Based on the 1968 photo and interview book by Danny Lyon, “The Bikeriders” tells a fictional story inspired by a Midwestern motorcycle club, seen through its members’ lives over a decade. Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

Simon Cowell has spoken candidly about his mental health struggles after discovering therapy for the first time at the age of 63.

It’s been a little while since we’ve had a new feature from acclaimed filmmaker, Jeff Nichols. Back in 2016, he released two films, both of which were hits with critics, “Loving” and “Midnight Special.” Since then, he’s been attached to a number of projects, including an “A Quiet Place” prequel film, but nothing came to fruition.

Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber are still an item.

Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber look so in love during a date night in Beverly Hills, Calif on Monday night (August 28).

McKinley Franklin editor SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers from the “Claim to Fame” Season 2 finale, which aired on ABC on Aug. 28, streaming the next day on Hulu. Known for heralding romance shows “Love is Blind” and “Married at First Sight,” the production company Kinetic Content threw its hat into the ring of competitive reality television when creating “Claim to Fame.” Unlike “Survivor,” which recruits average, everyday people, “Claim to Fame” taps a unique demo — contestants who are related to celebrities.

Director Denis Villeneuve is hopeful of making Dune a trilogy and is teasing the possibility of “Part Three” coming alive.

With “Dune: Part Two” set to debut next year, director Denis Villeneuve is already putting plans in motion for the third film in the series.

. The film, originally slated to release Nov. 3, will now be delayed until March 15, 2024.

The release of “Dune: Part Two,” one of the fall’s most anticipated films, has been postponed from November until next year, Warner Bros. confirmed Thursday.

Amanda Bynes has been spotted out and about in public again, weeks after going into a mental health treatment facility to get professional help and therapy.

Film and TV critics have praised Netflix's latest reality show At Home With The Furys, which follows the day-to-day life of Tyson Fury, wife Paris, and their six children, following his retirement from boxing. Viewers of the series have praised the depiction of Tyson's mental health struggles, with the boxer having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017.

Austin Butler is giving Kaia Gerber a little extra love with a long hug.

Austin Butler made a special stop during a recent trip to Malibu.

Elvis co-star Tom Hanks to save him from “emotional whiplash”.The actor, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance as Elvis Presley in the biopic, said Hanks expressed concern after he was consumed “so deeply” by the role for two years.Hanks’ concern led him to offer Butler a part in upcoming Apple TV+ series Masters Of The Air, which he’s co-producing with Steven Spielberg, to help him detach from Elvis.Speaking to The Sunday Times, Butler said that Hanks told him: “[Hanks] said, ‘You have immersed yourself so deeply in Elvis that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else. If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash…“And, you know,’ Hanks continued.

Austin Butler is opening up about the sage advice Tom Hanks gave to him.

One father-son duo in Georgia got the scare of a lifetime after giving a ride to someone and finding out later they were wanted for murder!