Fears Australia’s film boom may ‘die out’ now Hollywood is back in action with fewer COVID-19 restrictions
(abc.net.au)
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and big-budget productions have sought refuge in the COVID-free safe haven of Queensland to shoot blockbuster movies and keep the film industry alive amid the pandemic.
But now that Hollywood is back up and running thanks to fewer restrictions, will the Australian blockbuster boom continue?
Both the Australian and Queensland governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars luring international film productions to Australian shores, with the Commonwealth alone spending $400 million.
Since the beginning of 2020, Queensland has secured 39 international and domestic productions, which are worth an estimated $437 million to the local economy.
Some of the most recent blockbusters filmed in Australia include Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, Escape from Spiderhead starring Chris Hemsworth and Ron Howard’s Thirteen Lives, all shot on the Gold Coast.
The film Ticket To Paradise, starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, is due to start filming in Queensland, including on location in the Whitsundays, in November.
Lockdowns and tight border restrictions have been blamed for cancellations, postponements and even some major projects, such as Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction 2 that was supposed to be shot in New South Wales, heading back overseas.
By: Stephanie Smail
Continue Reading at abc.net.au
