Baz Luhrmann is hard at work on Jehanne d'Arc movie

Baz Luhrmann is "so deep in" his Jehanne d'Arc movie.

The 63-year-old director is working on a historical epic based on the teenage French saint Joan of Arc – starring The Queen's Gambit actress Isla Johnston in the lead role – and urged fans to be patient as he puts the project together.

Baz told Variety: "I'm so deep in it. The reason I'm shooting this corner of my atelier (on a Zoom call) is because the rest of it is just plastered with story structure and script.

"We have this extraordinarily gifted, gifted, gifted young actor who's quietly doing all it's gonna take. Because it's gonna take time. I always take time. But I am building medieval France! You know, there's not a lot of medieval France hanging around ready to be photographed. So it's not quick, but I'm deep in it."

The Moulin Rouge! filmmaker added: "As soon as I finish the tour of Elvis, I'm back to Jehanne d'Arc and that will be my next journey. And yet another character who has actually been kind of relegated to a bit of a trope and a little bit forgotten.

"I like to be involved in those iconic characters from the past who you sort of wish their power and their guidance and their light was around today. Who, in different ways, were the most surprising candidates to have so much of an effect on the world."

Luhrmann has helmed the new documentary film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert and admits that he never planned to make such a big contribution to the late King of Rock 'n' Roll's legacy after helming the 2022 biopic that starred Austin Butler.

The Australian director said: "Look, it wasn't planned that way. I mean, I was affected by Elvis as a child, but I also went on to other artists as I grew up – (David) Bowie and Michael Jackson and Elton John, for sure, who I love and work with.

"But Elvis was always there, more than just a musician or even a pop icon. He was America in so many ways, through the '50s, '60s and '70s – the incredible rebellious energy, the kind of cool family part, but also then almost rising up like a god, and then the descent.

"And even in his most corrupted bodily state at the end of his life, he sings Unchained Melody with probably the best voice he's ever had."

Baz hopes that the film gives Elvis "the world tour he dreamed of".

The Great Gatsby helmer said: "We know why he didn't have the world tour (as Colonel Tom Parker had his way).

"And honestly, we are going to give Elvis the world tour he dreamed of. Because he's gonna be playing on the biggest screens in the world.

"In Toronto, people actually came up to me and said, 'I couldn't work out whether I was in the audience or not. It felt like I was at the show.'"