Patience pays off for excited Thor fans as blockbuster’s stars stop traffic in Brisbane’s CBD
TOM Hiddleston almost stole Thor: Ragnarok star Chris Hemsworth’s thunder when the Hollywood blockbuster turned Brisbane into the Big Apple.
TOM Hiddleston almost stole Thor: Ragnarok star Chris Hemsworth’s thunder yesterday when the Hollywood blockbuster transformed the streets of Brisbane into the Big Apple.
Hiddleston sent fans including Robina student Sophia Ward, 19, into a frenzy when he crossed the corner of Albert and Margaret Streets for an impromptu meet and greet.
“I go to uni at UQ (University of Queensland),” Miss Ward said.
“I heard they were filming so I went to check it out.
“I got there about midday and it wasn’t too bad — the line went around the edge of the street and people kept moving out so we got closer.
“I’d been there for a couple of hours when Tom came over while Chris was still filming.
“He saw I had my phone out and asked if I wanted a selfie.
“It was pretty quick. He was such a nice guy.”
Hiddleston said he wanted to “come out and say thanks” after the production “shut down their city centre”.
“The fans have been really patient and well-behaved while we were filming and we appreciate this,” he said.
Hidddleston and Hemsworth’s Thor franchise co-star Sir Anthony Hopkins was spotted at Palazzo Versace on the weekend but isn’t expected to remain in town for long — his character reportedly has a minor role in Thor: Ragnarok.
“We have received nothing but great hospitality so I just wanted to come out and say ‘hi’. It’s not every day people get to meet Loki in their city.’’
The blockbuster production, based at Village Roadshow Studios and midday through its six-month shoot, has already inspired a new generation of budding filmmakers including Miss Ward.
A first-year Bachelor of Arts student currently studying film and TV as part of her course, she said she hoped to pursue a career in the industry.
“It was amazing watching everything — it’s exactly what I want to do,” she said.
“I want to be in film production so it was great to see every detail and see them shoot and shoot again.”
Miss Ward was one of thousands of fans who converged on the Brisbane CBD hoping to catch a glimpse of Thor: Ragnarok’s stars as filming on the Marvel Pictures film stopped traffic.
Director Taika Waititi, who enjoyed a belated birthday celebration at Burleigh Heads on Saturday after turning 41 on August 16, joked with fans yesterday, saying Hemsworth and Hiddleston “are very difficult to deal with”.
“They are just like tall muscular children,” he said.
Waititi appears to have revealed a key plot point during one of yesterday’s scenes in which Thor was captured looking intently at a business card.
A close-up photo revealed the card was inscribed with the address 177a Bleecker St, New York City — the residence otherwise known by Marvel devotees as the Sanctum Sanctorum.
The Sanctum Sanctorum is the personal residence of another Marvel character, Dr Stephen Vincent Strange, and former headquarters of the Defenders and the New Avengers.
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch plays the brilliant but egotistical former neurosurgeon Dr Strange in a new film directed by Scott Derrickson and due for release in November this year.
Gold Coast charity LIVIN, which supports people facing mental health challenges, was one of the big winners from yesterday’s shoot.
Founded by Casey Lyons and Sam Webb in September 2013, sales of the charity’s jumpers spiked after Hemsworth arrived on set wearing one.
“We’re up a lot more sales than normal,” Mr Lyons said.
“You can’t really put it into words.”
Mr Lyons said one of his friends had been wearing a similar jumping while working on the Thor set on the Gold Coast a few weeks ago.
“Chris liked the look of it and said ‘that’s a cool shirt’,” he said.
“When he heard the message behind it he was more than happy to help support it.”
Crowds in and around Thor: Ragnarok’s Brisbane set are expected to swell today as filming continues in Albert St, between Charlotte and Mary St.
Producers have promised to keep traffic disruptions as brief as possible during the shoot, which continues until Thursday.
Hidddleston and Hemsworth’s co-star Sir Anthony Hopkins was spotted at Palazzo Versace on the weekend but isn’t expected to remain in town for long — his character reportedly has a minor role in Thor: Ragnarok.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, who joins the Thor franchise as Asgardian goddess of death Hela, has reportedly been commuting between the Gold Coast and Melbourne in-between her commitments on the big-budget adventure.
Former Sydney resident Blanchett was born in Melbourne but is now based in the UK.
Thor: Ragnarok is due for release in November 2017.
Originally published as Patience pays off for excited Thor fans as blockbuster’s stars stop traffic in Brisbane’s CBD
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