Michael Shannon will play Elvis Presley opposite Kevin Spacey as Richard Nixon in the latest Bloom international sales title.

Liza Johnson of Hateship Loveship and Return will direct Elvis & Nixon from a screenplay by Cary Elwes and Hanala and Joey Sagal.

Prescience finances the project about the occasion on the morning of December 21 1970 when the king of rock ‘n’ roll turned up on the White House lawn to request he be sworn in as an undercover FBI agent.

Cassian Elwes represents US rights and will produce alongside Holly Wiersma, with Byron Wetzel and Prescience’s Tim Smith and Paul Brett on board as executive producers.

“It’s almost hard to fathom this story which evolved in the oval office between these two extraordinary men,” said Bloom’s Alex Walton. “It’s almost too good to be true.”