Mermaids take over as Gold Coast stars as Pirates filming hits dry ground

WHILE Pirates of the Caribbean has wound down for shore leave, another internationally renowned franchise is about to make a splash on the Gold Coast.

Mako Mermaids

WHILE $250 million blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has wound down for shore leave, another internationally renowned screen franchise is about to make a splash with a young actress tipped to become one of our most popular acting talents.

In a week production of the Pirates blockbuster hit dry ground, award-winning producer Jonathan M. Shiff is about to employ 150 crew and 350 extras for his third series of his slick family TV hit Mako Mermaids.

Mr Shiff and his team have been flat-tack prepping to start filming a third 16-part series of the lucrative Netflix-commissioned show.

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An export success that trumpets the city’s natural beauty to a worldwide audience of almost 300 million people, Mako Mermaids screens in almost 200 countries around the world.

“In the middle of the recent bad news about people losing their jobs, the good news is that we’re here as usual,” Mr Shiff said.

“We are humming along here​ and excited about introducing a new mermaid​ to the pod, Wai Lan, who is skilled in martial arts.

Jonathan M Shiff, producer of Mako Mermaids says the filming of the new series of Mako Mermaids was great news for the Coast. Picture: Regi Varghese

“We’ve cast the role. She’s an unknown Vietnamese actress from Sydney who will be the next famous Australian/Asian acting talent — the next (US actress) Lucy Liu.

“It’s a huge coup for the Coast.”

Filming at the Maudsland and Helensvale sets of Pirates stopped this week and hundreds of cast and crew were stood down while producers Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films waited for Pirates star Johnny Depp to return from Los Angeles.

Crew members from several departments have told the Bulletin they are still waiting to be paid for their last week of work. Some workers have been retained to pull down sets and props during the shut down.

A Pirates 5 crew member told the Bulletin this week that some of the equipment being leased for the production had been packed up and removed from the sets.

A Swinburne Film and Television School graduate regarded as the backbone of the local screen industry for the past decade, Mr Shiff​ has been creating and exporting children’s TV series​ since 1988.

Work seems to have ceased at the Pirates of the Caribbean film set at Helensvale. Picture: Tim Marsden

In having a hand in series such as H2O: Just Add Water, Elephant Princess, Cyber Girl and Ocean Girl, he has helped uncover stars in the mould of Margot Robbie and Heath Ledger.