Australia loses its lustre as the filming capital of a post-Covid world
The arrival of the Delta variant of Covid-19, snap lockdowns, protracted border closures, sluggish vaccination rates and hotel quarantining for overseas visitors have taken a toll on the Australian film industry.
Two major productions have stalled, with one – Netflix’s Extraction 2 starring Chris Hemsworth – relocating altogether, from Sydney to the Czech Republic capital of Prague.
It is believed about 70 Australians were among the film crew working on the action movie.
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In a bulletin sent to its members late last week, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance said the decision was “very disappointing news for the Australian film industry and the MEAA Equity members contracted”.
An MEAA spokesperson told Guardian Australia the producers Joe and Anthony Russo had given the union assurances that all contracts and/or minimum guarantee entitlements would be paid out in full.
The union is still in negotiation over reimbursement for any interstate members required to enter hotel quarantine.
Earlier this week the Russell Crowe-directed film Poker Face suspended production, just six days short of wrapping, after two crew members tested positive for Covid-19.
The film, starring Crowe, Liam Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky (Chris Hemsworth’s wife) had been shooting in and around Sydney’s CBD, including Barangaroo. The entire Poker Face cast and crew have been placed in isolation.
“We have followed strict protocols with cast and crew being tested three times a week for the past 11+ weeks,” Crowe said in a tweet in Tuesday, adding that the entire crew had been observing strict mask protocols during filming with the exception of three people who had medical exemptions.
“We feel for the crew members involved, like all the people on this show they are both very committed team players and diligent in their approach to their work responsibilities,” he tweeted.
“We also feel for the wider community going through these difficult times. We hope this situation will be confined and we can be back up and running very soon.”
Poker Face is expected to resume shooting later this year.
The relocation of Extraction 2 has cast doubt over the schedule of another Chris Hemsworth vehicle due to commence pre-production as early as November.
Furiosa, the sixth film in George Miller’s Mad Max franchise, is expected to do most of its shooting in the NSW western Riverina town of Hay.
With the HBO film Days of Abandonment now cancelled – its star Natalie Portman pulled out for personal reasons – NSW lost another high profile overseas production last month.
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In June, the Netflix television series God’s Favourite Idiot packed up after completing just eight of the 16 episodes originally planned. The series, featuring Melissa McCarthy, had spent four months filming in and around Byron Bay and Ballina in northern NSW.
Generous government financial incentives and a comparatively virus-free environment turned Australia into one of the world’s busiest film-making hubs just over a year ago.
The boom saw millions of dollars in investment ploughed into the industry. Crowe announced plans for a $400m film studio in Coffs Harbour in June; the same month Western Australian premier Mark McGowan announced plans for a $100m film studio on the Fremantle foreshore.
Just two weeks ago, plans for the $150m Lakeside Studio in Penrith in Sydney’s west were announced, with former Warner Bros. international president Wayne Duband as the project’s studio consultant.
There are signs the boom is now over.
A spokesperson for Screen Australia said while overseas productions might be dwindling, there was still plenty of local content being produced for Australian and international viewers.
“Currently there are productions shooting right around the country under excellent Covid-19 safety protocols,” the spokesperson said, naming Bump season two in Sydney and Love Me, starring Hugo Weaving, in Melbourne, where the Paramount+ series Spreadsheet also recently wrapped.
In Queensland, Darby and Joan, starring Bryan Brown, is currently shooting, as is the ABC series Troppo and the third season of Bluey.
In the Northern Territory, shooting of the SBS series True Colours continues.
“While we are still dealing with and adapting to challenges presented by Covid-19, our industry has come together with the backing of the federal government to face these head on and we have many film, television and online projects set to go imminently,” the spokesperson said.
“As well as natural beauty and diverse locations, our state-of-the-art facilities, world class crew and Australian filmmaking and acting talent will continue to see Australia be a destination for international filmmakers.”
