Gold Coast becomes Hawaii for filming on NBC series Young Rock
Film crews for Young Rock have moved to the Gold Coast, which is doubling as 1980s Hawaii for the NBC series about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s younger years, and they are tipped to stick around for the rest of the week.
QLD News
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The Gold Coast has temporarily become 1980s Hawaii for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s TV series, Young Rock.
Crews from the NBC comedy series moved south from their Brisbane base late last week and have been filming scenes around the Gold Coast with actor Joseph Lee Anderson as Johnson’s father, late wrestling champion Rocky Johnson.
Young Rock stars spotted filming in karate gym in Wynnum
First glimpse of Young Rock filming in Strathpine
At the end of last week they filmed at Sanctuary Cove, on the Gold Coast’s north, where local restaurant Thai House was changed into a venue called “Taste of the Ocean Seafood Restaurant and Bar”.
Vintage cars were parked outside the restaurant to replicate 1980s Hawaii for the series, which follows Johnson’s younger years.
Crews moved to Coolangatta, on the southern end of the Gold Coast, early this week, where they filmed at Froggy’s Beach, which will also double as Hawaii.
Adrian Groulx, who plays Johnson at 10 years old, was spotted on set, as was a trailer with the name “Andre the Giant”
The wrestler, whose real name was André Roussimoff, was friends with Johnson’s grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia.
It comes as Baz Luhrmann’s big-budget Elvis movie, starring Tom Hanks, continues to film nearby at Village Roadshow Studios, while Chris Sun has this week commenced filming on horror film Possessed, starring Lincoln Lewis, Angie Kent and Alli Simpson.
A spokeswoman for the Gold Coast City Council said Young Rock had acquired the relevant filming permits and there were various road closures taking place around the city.
In recent weeks Young Rock crews have delighted Brisbane locals, filming visibly in suburbs including Strathpine, Camp Hill, Capalaba and Wynnum.
Young Rock, along with two other NBC series filming in Brisbane over 18 months, is expected to inject $140 million into the local economy and create 3,000 jobs.
