Colin Hanks, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville Join ‘Elvis & Nixon’ (Exclusive)

Colin Hanks, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, Tracy Letts and singer Sky Ferreira have joined Elvis & Nixon,  the true story drama that has begun shooting in Atlanta.

The indie sees Michael Shannon as Elvis, embarking on a trip to Washington D.C. to meet President Richard Nixon, being played by Kevin Spacey. Liza Johnson is directing the movie that also has Evan Peters (X-Men: Days of Future Past) in its supporting cast.

See also Elvis Presley: His Life and Career in Pictures

The movie tells of the infamous Dec. 21, 1970, meeting between Presley and Nixon, both men at the height of their power in their respective fields. The meeting was initiated by Presley, who wrote Nixon an urgent six-page letter requesting a visit and suggesting that he be made a “Federal Agent-at-Large” in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Pettyfer is playing Jerry Schilling, Elvis’ best friend who accompanies the singer to DC. Hanks is playing Nixon’s aide Egil Krogh.

Knoxville is playing another member of the Memphis mafia who was Elvis’ head of security. In her screen debut, Ferreira is playing Schilling’s love interest.

Cassian Elwes and Holly Wiersma, whose credits range from Dallas Buyers Club to movies such as The Butler and Bobby, are producing.

Autumn Pictures David Hansen and Johnny Mac are financing and executive producing alongside Byron Wetzel, Robert Ogden Barnum and Jerry Schilling.

Alex Walton’s Bloom is handling international sales and introduced the film to buyers at AFM in November.

It has been a long journey for many on the filmmaking team. The indie has been in the works since at least 2011, when Eric Bana was attached to play Nixon and Cary Elwes, who also wrote the script with Hanala and Joey Sagal, was going to direct it.

Hanks, repped by UTA and MGMT. Entertainment, is coming off TV’s Fargo, for which he garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.

Pettyfer, repped by LBI Entertainment, last starred in last year’s Endless Love.

Knoxville just wrapped Skiptrace, a Jackie Chane action movie directed by Renny Harlin. He is repped by CAA, 3 Arts Management and Sloane Offer.

Letts, who is both a playwright (August: Osage County) and actor (Homeland), is repped by by Innovative Artists.

Ferreira is repped by CAA and Mosaic.

Bloom is currently in production on Shane Black’s detective thriller The Nice Guys, which stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling and in post on Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees, which stars Matthew McConaughey.