Orion: The Man Who Would Be King

Dec 4 2015 Unrated 1h 26m
Biography, Documentary, Music

August 16, 1977. All of America was stunned by the news of Elvis Presley's untimely passing. Some went so far as to believe that it couldn't be true. Somehow he had faked his death. For the executives at Sun Records that fantasy became an opportunity in the form of Orion, a mysterious masked performer with the voice of The King. First appearing in 1979, Orion recorded 11 albums and performed live to packed houses and rapturous fans around the nation. But who was the man behind the mask? In this stranger-than-fiction true story, Jeanie Finlay exposes the incredible life of an unknown singer plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight with the complicity of a manipulative music industry and a public fan base unwilling to let The King go. Resonant in its themes of identity, fate, and the double-edged nature of fame, Orion is a stylish mystery story that finally gives a name and a face to a gifted artist who had been unjustly deprived of both.

Official Trailer
Plot

'There are many that believe that Elvis is still alive - if he is alive he wears a mask and goes by the name Orion' (Nashville News 1979) ORION's the story of Jimmy Ellis, an unknown singer plucked from obscurity, and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme which had him masquerade as Elvis...back from the grave. With an outlandish fictional identity torn from the pages of the best selling novel Orion by Gail Brewer Giorgio, the backing of the legendary birthplace of rock 'n roll; Sun Records and a voice which seemed to be the very twin of Presley's himself, the scheme - concocted in the months after Presley's death mushroomed into a cult phenomena - and the 'Elvis is alive' myth was begun.

Written by

Jeanie Finlay

Directed by

Jeanie Finlay

Cast

Jerry Adams, Sharon Attaway Nettleton, Gail Brewer-Giorgio

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America, United Kingdom

Production Companies

BBC, Met Film Production

Languages

English

Awards

3 wins & 1 nomination

Trailers
ORION THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING - Trailer (2015)
Orion: The Man Who Would Be King - Official Trailer I HD I IFC Films
Scores
# of Votes
495
Average Rating
7 out of 10
Metascore
84
Popularity
NA