Qld welcomes Australian first as state’s film industry prepares for post pandemic boom

The film industry in one Australian state is set for a pandemic boom as production gets under way on a string of international projects.

Queensland’s film industry is gearing up for a multimillion-dollar pandemic recovery as the state opens up to international production companies.

After months of shutdown, an Australian-first Netflix Original documentary will be filmed in Queensland, coinciding with an 18-month back-to-back stint of Universal Studios television productions in the state, including Young Rock and Joe Exotic, that will inject more than $150 million into the economy.

In an Australian first, a Netflix Original documentary will shine a spotlight on a microscopic environment in Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.

Microworlds: Reef will be screened around the world, and filming is under way under water off the Queensland coast.

According to The Courier-Mail, the documentary will use “sophisticated supermacro techniques” specifically developed for the project to showcase a microworld of the reef’s tiniest creatures too small to be visible by the human eye.

The co-production between Port Douglas-based BioQuest Studios and Wild Pacific Media is one of several film projects under way in the Sunshine State.

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Director Rosie Lourde on the set of Netflix romantic comedy Romance on the Menu, which was filmed in Shorncliffe on Brisbane’s bayside.

Netflix has also recently filmed the first Australian Netflix Original series Tidelands in Brisbane, and feature-length film Romance on the Menu was shot at the iconic Shorncliffe pier.

On Saturday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced three big-budget TV series would be filmed in Brisbane’s Screen Queensland studios, which would generate 18 months of continuous production work for the state’s screen industry.

A television series called Joe Exotic will be filmed in Queensland, set to detail the life of the controversial ‘Tiger King’ Joseph Maldonado-Passage. Picture: Netflix US / AFP

Three Universal Studio Group shows – Young Rock, Joe Exotic, and Irreverent – will film back-to-back in Queensland in what’s expected to be a $143 million contribution to the Queensland economy.

“More than 3500 local cast, crew and extras will be employed to work across the three shows, and many more jobs supported in numerous industries like hospitality, tourism, transport and logistics,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Due to the measures we have in place and the amazing efforts of Queenslanders in dealing with this pandemic, Queensland is one of the safest places in the world to film.”

The Universal show Young Rock will detail the life of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and will be filmed in Queensland. Picture: Jean-Baptiste LACROIX / AFP

Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said this was a “significant announcement” and a testament to the hard work done to highlight Queensland as an ideal choice for productions.

“This is a massive boost for the Queensland screen industry and a vote of confidence in how safe Queensland is as a major destination for film and TV production,” she said.

“We can’t wait to welcome the Universal Studio Group and Matchbox teams to our studios and watch as these series take shape and also see our facilities and locations showcased around the world.”

Meanwhile, on the Gold Coast, filming has resumed for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, starring Hollywood heavyweight Tom Hanks. The film was shut down in March after Hanks and his wife tested positive to COVID-19.

Hanks returned to Australia earlier this month and will spend a few months in Queensland filming.