A carnival set for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie has been spotted on the Gold Coast
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis blockbuster is ramping up on the Gold Coast, with a glitzy carnival set built in a suburban hotspot and a 1957 Harley Davidson, matching the one Elvis owned, trucked into Village Roadshow Studios. SEE THE PICTURES.
QLD News
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The bright lights of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie have left Village Roadshow Studios and moved to suburban Gold Coast.
While production has been kept behind closed doors since filming on the big-budget Warner Bros flick began in late September, film crews have this week taken over cane fields in Steiglitz, in the city’s north, where they have built a glitzy carnival set.
Elvis actor Austin Butler steps out on the Gold Coast
Australian acting stars cast in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie
Cranes were spotted lifting colourful rides and a large ferris wheel into position late Wednesday afternoon near the Rocky Point Prawn Farm – a favourite filming location previously used for Fool’s Gold and San Andreas while Mel Gibson visited the spot on a location scouting trip in 2018.
Masked crew members were spotted arriving at the set via buses from the Village Roadshow Studios base.
Filming has been approved at the location until Saturday and will return for a final day on Monday.
While it’s not known what scenes are being filmed at the location, Elvis Presley starred in 1964 film Roustabout where he worked at a struggling carnival.
Luhrmann’s musical drama follows Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, with Austin Butler cast as the king of rock ‘n’ roll.
The production has also leased a 1957 Harley Davidson from the Queensland Motorcycle Breakdown Service (QMBS) which looks almost identical to the model Presley owned.
The service shared photos of the motorbike to Facebook along with other vintage cars on set at Village Roadshow Studios.
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“They need to wrap it in black to match the one Elvis owned,” they wrote.
“QMBS will be taking the bikes to all the film sets over the next few months so stay posted there will be some nice bikes coming on board with us.”
Filming has been underway since late September after star Tom Hanks jetted in from the US and finished his mandatory quarantine in a Gold Coast hotel.
It had been delayed since March when Hanks contracted COVID-19, subsequently shutting down the production days before filming was due to begin.
The film also stars Australians including Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley and Richard Roxburgh as Elvis’ father Vernon Presley.
The Elvis production is expected to create 900 jobs on the Gold Coast and bring in $100 million to the local economy.
Holmstead Rd, between Rocky Point Rd and Short Cut Rd, at Steiglitz will be closed for filming until Saturday, and again on Monday.
