Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic to resume filming after it was forced to shutdown due to Tom Hanks COVID-19 diagnosis
Plans to start re-shooting Baz Lhurman’s Elvis Biopic on the Gold Coast are underway.
The production was forced to shut down when cast member Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for COVID-19.
But Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed that she met with Baz to discuss when filming can resume.
Back on track: Plans to start re-shooting Baz Lhurman’s (pictured) Elvis Biopic on the Gold Coast are underway
‘We want to ensure that this can happen as soon as possible while making sure that the cast and crew can operate safely,’ she said last week.
The premier added that she was working with Screen Queensland and Queensland Health to develop a safe plan for filming.
‘Screen Queensland and Queensland Health are also currently developing a screen industry COVID safe plan that will be released shortly, paving the way for the whole sector to get rolling cameras again and crew back to work on sets,’ she said.
Starring role: Austin Butler (left) is set to play Elvis (right) in the biopic that will explore the singers rise to fame and complicated relationship with his manager
The film is set to explore Elvis’ rise to fame and his complicated relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Austin Butler will be taking on the role of the iconic singer and Tom will be portraying his manager.
This news is sure to come as a relief to the cast and crew who had to shut down production back in March after Tom’s diagnosis with the virus.
Positive: Tom Hanks and his wife, both 63, announced the positive test results on Instagram at the time and urged the public to ‘take care’ amid the pandemic
The Forrest Gump star and his wife, both 63, announced the positive test results on Instagram at the time and urged the public to ‘take care’ amid the pandemic.
He wrote: ‘Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive.’
The couple returned to the US after receiving treatment and quarantining in Australia and have since made a full recovery.
Recovery: The couple returned to the US after receiving treatment and quarantining in Australia and have since made a full recovery