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Tom Hanks to resume filming Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis'

Tom Hanks (L), pictured with Rita Wilson, will restart production on "Elvis" in Australia, six months after testing positive for COVID-19. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 3 | Tom Hanks (L), pictured with Rita Wilson, will restart production on "Elvis" in Australia, six months after testing positive for COVID-19. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Tom Hanks will resume filming Baz Luhrmann's new film Elvis this month.

Luhrmann confirmed Wednesday that production will restart Sept. 23 in Queensland, Australia, six months after Hanks and his wife, producer Rita Wilson, tested positive for COVID-19.

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The untitled film explores the life and career of late rock and roll legend Elvis Presley. Austin Butler stars as Presley, with Hanks as Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker.

"We're back to, as Elvis liked to say, 'taking care of business!' It is a real privilege in this unprecedented global moment that Tom Hanks has been able to return to Australia to join Austin Butler and all of our extraordinary cast and crew to commence production on Elvis," Luhrmann said in a statement.

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"I cannot emphasize enough how lucky we feel in the current climate that the state of Queensland, and Queenslanders in general, have been so supportive of this film," he added. "We are all excited to start working with Tom Hanks when he is out of quarantine in two weeks."

Luhrmann shared photos from the Elvis set Wednesday on Instagram.

"Welcome back cast and crew. 'Taking care of Business' in the wonderful State of Queensland," he captioned the post.

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Hanks and Wilson tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia in March. The couple quarantined and were treated in the country and returned home to the U.S. at the end of the month.

In July, Hanks stressed the importance of wearing a mask on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, saying it is "the least" people can do to help stop the spread of the virus.

Elvis co-stars Olivia DeJonge, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rufus Sewell and Yola, and is slated to open in theaters in November 2021.

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