Last night, amidst a flurry of news regarding the spread of the novel Coronavirus a.k.a. COVID-19, film fans got a rather distressing update from one of the most beloved stars in the world. Tom Hanks, who is currently down in Australia filming the upcoming Elvis Presley biopic, shared on social media that both he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had been diagnosed with the disease. Fans have spent the hours since wondering about the actors' condition and health, and now we have a fresh update straight from quarantine – which happens to come packed with a reference to one of his greatest films:
It's been a distressing 24 hours as there have been consistent reports released about major events being cancelled, blockbuster release dates being shifted, and popular venues being closed, but at the very least we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are doing okay. To two actors are getting medical care to treat their condition while being kept in isolation, and while the picture doesn't exactly suggest they are in the greatest spirits, Hanks was at the very least able to lift all of ours by including a reference to his role in Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own.
Back in 1992, Tom Hanks played Jimmy Dugan in the hit baseball comedy, serving as a coach to an all-female team during World War II. The film is full of memorable moments, but one of the most iconic is a scene between Hanks and actress Bitty Schram, who have a bit of a confrontation between innings during a game. Dugan's criticisms for his player's performance hit a bit harder than he expects, requiring him to inform her about a rule of the game: there's no crying in baseball.
It's possible that we won't get to see much of Tom Hanks in the coming weeks as he spends time in isolation, but with any luck we will soon see him back on the big screen, as he does have three movies currently scheduled to come out in the calendar year. The first is Aaron Schneider's war film Greyhound, which is based on a screenplay that the star himself wrote and will be out on June 12th. Scheduled to come out on October 2nd is Miguel Sapochnik's BIOS – which is a post-apocalyptic drama that may hit a bit too close to home in these times. And lastly he has Paul Greengrass' western News Of The World set to come out on Christmas Day, the project reuniting the director and actor after their previous collaboration making 2013's Captain Phillips.
It's possible that any of these titles could wind up having their release dates changed, but for now we hope that they stay put.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our best wishes to Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson as their treatment continues, and hope all you readers are staying safe as well.
