Written by Shona Smith on Oct 8, 2018. Posted in Production News

Queensland secures more big productions for the Gold Coast

Queensland, Australia has managed to secure production of two big spending international productions through the federal government’s Production Attraction Strategy.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s Godzilla vs. King Kong and Disney’s ABC Studios drama Reef Break are set to start filming in Queensland before the year is out. Combined, the two productions are expected to create more than 1000 jobs for local cast, crew and extras. Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk notes that “Godzilla vs. Kong is the biggest blockbuster that we have seen for a long time which will be filmed on the Gold Coast”. The last instalment of the franchise King Kong: Skull Island also based production at Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland during 2015. Filming on the projects will begin as soon as Paramount’s Dora the Explorer has wrapped in the state “ensuring consistency on the Gold Coast” for local production professionals.

screen_shot_2016-04-28_at_11.16.41_am (1)The two productions will be the first to receive the new federal Location Incentive Program. The fund, announced in May will deliver AUD140 million over four years, providing grants worth AUD35 million per annum over four years. The program complements the existing federal Location Offset tax rebate of 16.5% which will work in tandem providing big budget international features an offset of up to 30%.Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said “we’ve been trying to lure some of the biggest movie makers for years with Queensland’s amazing production facilities, film locations and our attraction fund however the sticking point has been always been the reluctance of the Federal Government to put their money where their mouth is and match the tax offsets on offer from other countries”. She goes on to say, “increasing the offset from 16.5 to 30 per cent nationally finally makes Australia world-competitive when it comes to luring international movie-makers to film their blockbusters and there’s no better place than in Queensland”.

wsi-imageoptim-kong-skullisland-set3-1800x1080Disney’s ABC Studios International have also announced that drama series Reef Break will film in Queensland. The drama series is a co-production with France M6 network about a former thief turned “fixer” for a fictional Pacific island government and has been described by president of ABC Entertainment Channing Dungey as “an exhilarating and suspenseful ride set against some of the most beautiful locations” which Queensland certainly has no shortage of.

For productions to access the Location Incentive Program, they must meet the eligibility criteria for The Location Offset and secure support from relevant state or territory governments. A minimum AUD15 million qualifying Australian Production expenditure (QAPE), or AUD1 million per hour QAPE for television series. Additionally, productions must use the services of one or more Australian post, sound, music or visual effects providers.

 

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