Australia Has Become The New Hollywood During The Covid-19 Pandemic As Major Movie Studios Relocate Their Productions Down Under
Australia has become the new Hollywood during the Covid-19 pandemic as major movie studios relocate their productions Down Under.
Some of the world's most renowned actors - including film royalty [/tvshowbiz/george_clooney/index.html George Clooney] and Julia Roberts - are making the move to capitalise on generous Government grants designed to boost Australia's fledgling film industry.
[/news/scott-morrison/index.html Scott Morrison] offered a new package in July to attract Hollywood that's worth a staggering $400 million - but that doesn't include other incentives offered by individual states.
While 35,000 Aussies stuck overseas argue they should have first priority to fly home, the federal Government continues to fast-track travel exemptions for stars - citing the amount of revenue they'll generate with their productions.
Not to mention the positive, global publicity for Australia.
And the local industry is starting to thrive as a result.
Some of the world's most renowned celebrities - including film royalty George Clooney and Julia Roberts - are making the move to capitalise on generous government grants to help bolster Australia's budding film industry
Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth will star alongside several other major Hollywood stars in Thor: Love and Thunder
Thea McLeod, one of Australia's most sought after casting directors and vice president of the Casting Guild of Australia, explained this could be a turning point for Australia's arts industry.
'Hollywood is bringing these A-listers, sure.
But we need to surround them with local talent. And that goes beyond just actors. We're talking costume designers, set dressers, so many other people are benefiting from this,' she said.
'This is a level of exposure and opportunity we've never seen all at once before...
It's bringing a great deal of money and jobs to our industry after such a difficult time.'
Australia's reputation as the new 'go-to destination' for Hollywood producers could generate an estimated $3 billion for the local economy.
The calibre of productions entrusted with local sound crews, location scouts and set dressers will only bolster Australia's stake on the market once Covid ends, experts predict.
'This is just the beginning,' McLeod predicted.
'It'll go beyond Covid. They're seeing now how brilliant to shoot here, the amazing studios, great locations, really, really good crews and extraordinary talent.'
Zac Efron has been living in Australia for much of the pandemic and has been filming a Stan Original movie in South Australia
Networks and studios are capitalising on the nation's home grown talent and in-built versatility.
Clooney and tour bali Roberts' rom-com Ticket to Paradise will transform Queensland's Whitsunday Islands into tour du lịch bali, while other locations in the state will serve as America.
And international stars are increasingly wanting to call Australia home.
Zac Efron appears to have grown roots in Byron Bay, while Melissa McCarthy was reportedly so enamored with the region that she changed plans to film a second movie here.
The Hemsworths are staying put and the likes of Matt Damon, Natalie Portman and kynghidongduong.vn Mark Wahlberg have indicated they'll remain Down Under for at least a few months, suggesting they'd be open to filming future projects in Australia.
The boom is reminiscent of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the Matrix trilogy, Mission Impossible and two Star Wars episodes were all filmed Down Under.
Nicole Kidman returned to her roots when she moved her family back to Australia during Covid, and has been busy filming projects including Nine Perfect Strangers since she returned
But there are expectations that the current trajectory will surpass even that success, as Australia's world-class studios struggle to keep up with demand.
A new studio to compliment Sydney's Fox Studios and Village Road Show on the Gold Coast is pegged for Perth, while Melbourne's Docklands Studios is adding a sixth sound stage.
The Federal Government last year injected $400 million into the Location Incentive Grant to lure filmmakers to Australia at the height of the pandemic.
That investment could result in returns in excess of $3 billion dollars and create 12,000 jobs.
Kate Marks, the chief executive officer at Ausfilm, has received inquiries relating to 37 projects in just five months.
If each project goes ahead, the revenue will exceed $2.1 billion.
'The international spotlight is firmly on Australia,' she said.
Idris Elba is in Australia filming his new movie, Three Thousand Years of Longing
A big-budget film also has the potential to create jobs for hundreds of locals - from performers to sound producers, cleaners and location scouts.
Escape From Spiderhead, for example, has been green lit to film in Queensland for Netflix and will star Chris Hemsworth.
The production will bring an estimated $47 million into the local economy and hire 360 local cast and crew.
Meanwhile Liam Neeson's new action-packed film Blacklight, which was filmed in Melbourne and Canberra will inject $43 million and create 500 jobs, according to the Federal Government.
Graeme Mason, who heads Screen Australia, said there are plenty of productions in the pipeline coming out of Australia too, and said international films are driving a return to full time work for plenty of people in the local industry in the wake of Covid.
'Whether they be the set dresser or the grip, or whatever they are, on the whole they're Australians, and this is providing incredible employment and skills for those people,' he explained.
'There is an appetite to work with Australian talent - both those in front and behind the camera.
The hope is that when international productions come to Australia, they have such a positive experience with our crew and locations and will want to return again and again.'
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-d5000860-8527-11eb-96da-9d4a0b3e021a" website films have injected $3BILLION into the Australian economy