Elvis Presley was back in the spotlight last year, thanks to Baz Luhrmann's epic eponymous film. The King was introduced to a younger generation, but that's hardly the first time that Elvis reemerged from dormancy to an ebullient new fan base. The new documentary film, Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback, is diving deep into Presley's status as an icon, focusing at a time when the singer reinvented himself for a new audience and a new era.

According to the press materials, "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 Dec. 3, 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 life, reinvigorating his career and changing the pop-culture landscape forever.

"Told from the unique perspective of Emmy ® Award-winning television director Steve Binder, Reinventing Elvis 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 superstar Darius Rucker, Latin Grammy® winner Maffio and America’s Got Talent finalist Drake Milligan, who previously starred in CMT’s hit series Sun Records, also streaming on Paramount+."

Part concert film, part biographical study, all Elvis, Reinventing Elvis follows the musician around the time of his 1968 NBC TV special, colloquially known as “The Elvis Comeback Special.” The milestone program is dissected and explored, and shines a glorious new light on the King. The film screened in select theaters July 30, and will stream exclusively on Paramount+ beginning Aug. 15, 2023. You can check out the exclusive trailer below:

Elvis Presley in All His Cool Glory

Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback is written and directed by John Scheinfeld and executive produced by the legendary Steve Binder, who produced the original comeback special for NBC. His archives and invaluable knowledge of the event and Elvis' headspace at the time help inform a documentary that is as musically catching as it is insightful.

To quote our own Greg Archer in his review for Reinventing Elvis:

"The heart of the doc, it seems, comes from Binder’s own revelations, which have long been kept under wraps," continues Archer. "His interest is in Elvis the man, Elvis the entertainer, and Elvis the great television presence — he was expected to create a showstopping TV event at the time — shines through mightily. Interestingly, while the documentary does leap back through Elvis’ history, it doesn’t stay there too long to weigh this project down. We learn how the NBC special came to life and what happened to Elvis before, during and, perhaps, after that. And, how Binder had an entirely different vision for the special, which Elvis' manager, Colonel Parker, didn't jive with. Watching and hearing how that played out is downright fascinating."

Ultimately, Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback documents an important moment in not just Presley's biography but in pop culture history, as rock and roll helped morph the broader culture into something far different than ever before. The film will premiere exclusively on the service Tuesday, August 15 in the U.S. and Canada, just one day before the anniversary of Presley's death, and internationally on Wednesday, August 16 in the U.K., Latin America, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.