Just before Elvis biopic release, Universal, Authentic Brands pick up singer’s catalogue

Los Angeles : The catalogue of Elvis Presley, who is regarded as the ‘King of Rock and Roll’, will be regulated by Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and represented by Authentic Brands Group (ABG), reports ‘Variety’.As per ‘Variety’, ABG’s formidable portfolio includes iconic celebrity brands such as Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali. The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, comes at the time of Baz Luhrmann’s biopic ‘Elvis’, which stars Tom Hanks and Austin Butler. The film is set to arrive in theaters June 24 and will premiere next month at the Cannes Film Festival.As part of the expanded relationship, UMPG and ABG will represent Presley’s catalog of hits worldwide (excluding the U.K.), including his cult classics like ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’. ‘It’s Now or Never’, ‘Memories’, ‘A Little Less Conversation’ ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘Jailhouse Rock’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Viva Las Vegas’, ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘All Shook Up’ and ‘Tears on My Pillow’.The agreement is an extension to Universal Music’s existing relationship with ABG. In November 2020, both the companies announced a strategic initiative to acquire and actively manage artist brands.

 

Commenting on the development, UMPG COO Marc Cimino said in a statement accessed by ‘Variety’, “Elvis Presley has had an unprecedented and lasting global impact on music and pop culture. [CEO] Jody Gerson and I, along with UMPG’s teams around the world, couldn’t be more excited and honored to work with ABG in making sure that Elvis’ iconic legacy endures for generations to come.”ABG entertainment president, Marc Rosen added, “2022 is shaping up to be a banner year for Elvis, highlighted by the highly-anticipated theatrical release this June of ‘Elvis’ directed by Baz Luhrmann, as well as the debut of Netflix’s upcoming animated action series ‘Agent King’. We are honored to work in partnership with UMPG as guardians of Elvis’ incomparable catalog, bringing his music and cultural influence to audiences around the world.”Presley is considered to be the best-selling solo music artist of all time, with more than 500 million records sold. He also holds the record for most songs charting on Billboard’s Top 40 with 114 hits, including 40 within the top 10 and 18 reaching number one.In addition, He also boasts of the record for the most RIAA-certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most No. 1 albums by a solo artist on the U.K. Albums Chart, and the most No. 1 singles by any act on the U.K. Singles Chart.