Elvis movie to be shot by Baz Luhrmann in Australia

Queensland: Director Baz Luhrmann's Elvis film, starring Tom Hanks, is set to shoot significant portions here in Australia, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

The yet-untitled film, will explore the life and music of Elvis Presley, including his rise to fame, his unprecedented stardom, and his impact on the world. It will also delve into his complicated relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, reports variety.com.

It was unveiled that Hanks will play Parker. This information was confirmed Wednesday by Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier and Minister for Trade of the Australian state of Queensland.

The state's location attraction body, Screen Queensland said: "(Luhrmann) is casting a wide net for the actor to play Elvis."

Palaszczuk said she was looking forward to welcoming the Warner Bros. production to Queensland's world-class facilities, Village Roadshow Studios, on the Gold Coast. 

She said that an agreement to shoot in Queensland had been made after a recent meeting with Luhrmann, who is known for films like "Romeo + Juliet", "The Great Gatsby" and "Moulin Rouge", in London. 

No schedule for a start of production was announced.

Other Hollywood films that have recently shot in Queensland, include "Aquaman", "Thor: Ragnarok". So too did the upcoming "Dora the Explorer" and the 2020 release "Godzilla vs Kong."

"Australia continues to be one of the great filmmaking locations in the world, where we've created everything from Paris cabarets to the Jazz Age in New York," Luhrmann said in a statement.

He added that he is committed to not only making the film, but also developing Queensland's creative culture and supporting filmmakers, storytellers and artists of all kinds.