MONSTER DEALS
Godzilla v Kong, Reef Break to create 100s of jobs in film boost
TWO big-budget productions will bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the Gold Coast from this month.
Action film Godzilla vs. Kong
and Disney series Reef Break
will inject $100 million into the Australian economy – much of it staying on the Gold Coast.
Federal Government grants – in these cases amounting to $16 million – to entice large productions have been crucial to the two projects choosing Australia’s Gold Coast.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison: “These projects will bring 100s of jobs to the Coast.”
TWO big budget productions will bring hundreds of jobs and literally millions of dollars to the Gold Coast from this month.
The action film Godzilla vs. Kong and Disney series Reef Break will begin production this year and are expected to inject $100 million into the Australian economy – much of it staying on the Gold Coast.
Both are due to begin pre-production this month.
Godzilla vs. Kong will employ more than 1110 Australian cast, crew and extras and use the services of 1300 Australian businesses. Reef Break will employ more than 2820 Australian cast, crew and extras and use the services of 300 businesses.
Creative executive of Legendary Entertainment Jay Ashenfelter said the company was thrilled to be returning for Godzilla vs. Kong after filming Kong: Skull Island here in 2016.
“The incredible crews, facilities, and locations Australia offers make for an ideal production location,” Mr Ashenfelter said.
Crucial to the two productions coming our way was the Federal Location Incentive, which, with the Locations Offset, provide a tax offset of 30 per cent for large budget international productions in Australia.
For these two productions, that tallies up to $16 million and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was thrilled that money would go to the Gold Coast, where “the action is”.
“Our commitment to the tax offset locks the Gold Coast in as a go-to destination for major film productions, creating longterm sustainable jobs for our film industry,” he said.
“These projects will bring hundreds of jobs to the Gold Coast and further cement its reputation as one of the best places in the world to make movies.”
The new incentive was in May’s Federal Budget.
The location offset is designed to entice film pro- ductions worth more than $15 million to Australia.
The Coast projects will be the first two productions to engage the new offset.
Screen Queensland estimated that Village Roadshow Studios has attracted about $3.6 billion worth of productions, reaffirming the city’s as a movie-making heavyweight.
Queensland has had a significant pipeline of international productions including: Dora the Explorer, Aquaman, Thor: Ragnarok, Kong: Skull Island and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.