A Thor point for Aussie films
BEN Elton is urging Australia’s film industry to take the emphasis off Hollywood blockbusters like Thor: Ragnarok and start making more homegrown projects.
The millions spent luring the Marvel cosmic action movie to the Gold Coast could have helped make numerous Australian films and all the money would have stayed local, Elton says. “A lot of Australian money was spent bribing (Thor) because all countries are trying to get the big films, I think it was $30 million,” he said.
“Now that could have made 10 or 15 Australian movies and all of the money would have been spent in Australia, rather than going overseas.
“I"m not denying it’s great to be a part of the global industry but the reason Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe are these big stars is because they started in small films here and we need to nurture that market too.”
The writer-director is releasing his first Australian feature film, Three Summers, filmed entirely in WA with a local cast and crew.