Thor premiere hammers home Queensland’s screen success

17 Oct 2017

The Australian premiere of international blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok on the Gold Coast marks another major achievement for Queensland’s screen industry, Queensland Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said today.

“Thor: Ragnarok was filmed in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast and this major blockbuster is now taking the work of our creative talent, and our stunning Queensland locations, to screens around the world,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“This major Marvel production is hammering home the message that Queensland is a screen hub and a location of choice for both international and domestic screen productions.

“I am thrilled to welcome the cast and crew of Thor: Ragnarok, and the Disney team back to Queensland to celebrate the premiere of a wonderful production that has benefitted Queensland in countless ways.

“It is also a coup to have Chris Hemsworth here at the Australian premiere, and photos and vision from tonight’s premiere will be beamed throughout the world-this is well and truly putting a spotlight on Queensland.

“Thor: Ragnarok employed more than 1000 Queensland cast and crew, and injected an estimated $142 million into the Queensland economy.

“The filming of Thor also contributed to our screen culture with crowds flocking into the Brisbane CBD to get a glimpse of the cast and to watch filming as our streets were transformed into New York City.

“Thor: Ragnarok was attracted to Queensland as part of my Government’s $30 million four-year funding injection for the screen industry; to win more international and large-scale domestic productions for this State.

“This strategy, together with having incredibly talented local cast and crew, fantastic locations, and world class film infrastructure is producing outstanding results.

“My Government, through Screen Queensland, in 2016–17 invested in 37 domestic and international productions, delivering direct production expenditure of $214 million and creating 2340 jobs in Queensland.”

Ms Palaszczuk said there were more productions in Queensland’s back-to-back screen pipeline.

The Warner Bros production Aquaman, which wraps up filming at the end of October on the Gold Coast is spending more than $100 million in Queensland on physical production and is creating 750 jobs.

The television series Harrow, developed by Brisbane-based Hoodlum, is filming in Brisbane now until December and will inject more than $15 million into Queensland with direct expenditure on jobs, goods and services,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Feature film At Last, the latest Australia-Chinese co-production, began principal photography last week in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, and will provide about 200 jobs and inject $10.8 million into the local economy.

In 2018, the first ever Australian-made Netflix Original Series, Tidelands, will also film in the State and deliver 80 jobs for Queensland acting talent and crew.

“I am the Queensland screen industry’s biggest advocate and can assure you my Government will keep pushing for screen jobs for our local crews and creatives and for productions that inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the Queensland economy,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

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