Baz Luhrmann on How He Created “Subtle Connection” Between Britney Spears and Elvis Presley Through Song

RCA Records officially released the remix mashup of Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” and Britney Spears’ “Toxic” that was featured in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis but didn’t make the cut for the soundtrack.

Hours before the track hit YouTube, Luhrmann teased its debut while walking the red carpet at the Palm Springs Film Awards, adding that by featuring the Spears song in his film, he alluded to a “subtle connection” between the superstars.

“She’s a gifted and talented artist, and all gifted and talented artists walk a high wire. What she’s been through — this is probably not the forum for me to comment on it, but others have said that there is a direct line between Elvis’ journey and Britney’s journey,” said the Aussie auteur, who confirmed that Spears approved the sample (“She loved the idea”) and has long been known to be a fan of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. (She opened her HBO special in Las Vegas wearing a Presley-inspired, rhinestone-studded white jumpsuit.)

“They both had to contend with very, very complicated relationships. Let’s just leave it at that.”

This story first appeared in the Jan. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.