Rikki Lee Travolta
Floating names for “The Elvis Conspiracy” include Daniel Craig, Adrien Brody, Christoph Waltz, Tom Holland, Zac Efron and Dacre Montgomery.
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA, Nov. 29, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Chicago-based scribe Rikki Lee Travolta has been named Best Screenplay winner at the Multi Dimension Independent Film Festival and MoviePlay International Film Festival for his dramatic thriller The Elvis Conspiracy. In terms of international appeal, last month the screenplay was also named a finalist in England’s Bright International Film Festival and an Official Selection of the Oaxaca Film Festival in Mexico.
The screenplay begs the question: what if there was more to the legend of Elvis than we know? What if his manager, Colonel Parker, had made it all up?
Weaving together facts and conspiracy theories, this “alternate history” thriller follows Colonel Tom Parker as he transforms from carnival barker to star-maker when he creates the icon Elvis Presley; meanwhile, a relentless investigative reporter tries to uncover the truth behind what could be the biggest scam in entertainment history. Think of it like The Da Vinci Code meets Eddie and the Cruisers.
Alternate history is a genre that artists like Quinten Tarantino have had great success with, such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Inglorious Bastards. Tarantino is not the only filmmaker to experiment with this genre. Forrest Gump, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Fatherland are other examples of successful adventures in the world of alternate history storylines that take real historical events and then give them a fictional twist.
“There’s something magical about the ‘What If’ stories. It’s natural for people to wonder how things could have turned out differently under different circumstances,” Travolta says. “The Elvis Conspiracy embraces this element of fantasy and creates a whole new world, a whole new way to experience the legend of Elvis Presley.”
With Tom Hanks playing Colonel Parker in a very different film, the overall relationship between Colonel Parker and Elvis is a hot topic right now. Travolta, however, is a totally unique approach.
“The true story of Elvis has been told in many wonderful films and TV series. Austin Butler is attracting buzz at the Oscars for his recent film performance. He is amazing. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Michael St. Gerard were also brilliant at their turn in the role of Elvis”, says the screenwriter. “I wanted to do something different, something totally new. I wanted to paint with blood and sweat rather than with acrylic and oil. watercolor.
Although he paints the legend of Elvis with broad brushstrokes of fiction, Travolta does so with the utmost respect for the icon he grew up idolizing.
“Elvis Presley was one of my first role models. I grew up watching Elvis movies every weekend. I remain a huge fan,” Travolta adds. “I would never seek to tarnish his reputation. ”
With the right actors, there are 2 award-worthy roles – Best Actor (Col. Parker) and Best Supporting Actor (playing three versions of Elvis). The story could also be easily adapted into a limited television series for streaming services.
Travolta is a produced television writer, option screenwriter, produced playwright, and published author and journalist. In fact, through creative guerrilla marketing efforts, one of his books was an Amazon Top Ten recommendation. He is currently the creator and producer of a series on PBS.
Names that have been pitched for the project include Russel Crowe, Daniel Craig, Adrien Brody, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz, Jon Hamm and Hank Azaria as Colonel Parker and Tom Holland, Zac Efron, Dacre Montgomery and Finn Cole as as Elvis.
In addition to these two major screenplay competitions, The Elvis Conspiracy was also a finalist in competitions such as the Chicago Screenplay Awards, the Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition, and the Emerging Screenwriters Suspense Screenplay Competition. It was also an official selection of the Marina Del Rey Film Festival.
Travolta’s other screenplays have been finalists in prestigious competitions including Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, New York International Screenplay Awards, Southern California Screenplay Competition, Scriptapalooza International Screenplay Competition, Boston Screenplay Awards, Miami Screenplay Awards, the Portland Screenplay Awards and the Las Vegas International Film & Screenplay Festival.
jesse hyde
Truth and Justice Entertainment
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