The Morrison Government continues to boost to the Queensland economy with another international blockbuster from the MonsterVerse franchise drawn to Australia, with $16 million in funding under the highly successful $540 million Location Incentive Program.
The Legendary Entertainment franchise will return to the Gold Coast and South East Queensland for the highly-anticipated sequel to Godzilla vs Kong, the global blockbuster that thrilled audiences by pitting two of the most iconic monsters of all time against each other in an epic battle royale.
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP said the production is expected to inject more than $119 million into the Australian economy, employ more than 500 Australian cast and crew, and more than 750 Australian extras.
“The sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong will boost local businesses in and around the Gold Coast and South East Queensland, provide valuable training opportunities for our up-and-coming industry talent, and showcase Australia’s vibrant and versatile landscapes,” Minister Fletcher said.
“This marks the 15th production drawn to Queensland under the Location Incentive, attracting more than $136 million in funding from the Federal Government and a generating a total expenditure of $1.02 billion. This investment has created more than 6,800 jobs for Aussie cast and crew, and provided support for 6,600 businesses throughout the sunshine state.”
Film producer Eric McLeod said the team are excited to be returning to Australia for the third time in the Monsterverse franchise.
“The highly skilled crews, first-rate facilities, and unique locations make filming in Australia a great experience. The support from both the federal government as well as Queensland has always been critical to our success in achieving a high level of filmmaking and an unparalleled audience experience,” Mr McLeod said.
The Queensland Government has also contributed $6.3 million to the production under Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she is delighted to welcome Legendary Pictures back to Queensland, following the filming of Kong Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong in the state in 2016 and 2019 respectively.
“It’s clear our highly skilled local crew, diverse locations and first-rate facilities was a definite draw card for them to come back again” the Premier said.
“The production will inject more than double the $36.5 million that Godzilla vs. Kong brought to the state and is a welcome boost to our economy as we recover from the impacts of the global pandemic and south-east Queensland flooding events.
“These types of productions benefit our screen industry, deliver local jobs and provide a welcome boost to our small businesses and communities in and around our production sites.”
To date, the Morrison Government has distributed more than $289 million under the Location Incentive to attract 29 international productions to Australia, generating more than $2.2 billion in private investment, providing more than 18,300 employment opportunities for local cast and crew, and creating work for over 17,400 businesses that support these big productions.
