SYDNEY SECURES PRODUCTION OF MAJOR HOLLYWOOD MOVIE

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner today announced that NSW has secured production of the major international film Gods of Egypt, which will star Gerard Butler and Geoffrey Rush and begins filming in Sydney late next month.

Mr Stoner said the NSW Government helped secure the production through NSW Trade & Investment’s State Investment Attraction Scheme.

“Securing the production of Gods of Egypt for NSW will create an estimated 400 jobs in the local film industry and contribute around $75 million in direct production expenditure to the NSW economy,” Mr Stoner said.

“Set in mythical ancient Egypt, the large scale adventure-epic will star Academy Award-winning Australian actor Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean) alongside Gerard Butler (300,Olympus Has Fallen), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones,Oblivion) and rising Australian stars Brenton Thwaites and Courtney Eaton.”

Internationally acclaimed Australian writer, producer and director Alex Proyas (I Robot, The Crow, Dark City) will make the new film.

“The NSW Government has worked hard to put the State on the international film production map over the past three years,” Mr Stoner said.

“Gods of Egypt comes to NSW hot on the heels of Angelina Jolie’sUnbroken and as we see the success of multi-Oscar nominated The Great Gatsby and the recently released The LEGO Movie, which was made here in Sydney and has been a huge box office hit internationally.”

“These productions have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in NSW, including substantial amounts in regional areas, creating hundreds of jobs.

“The Government’s sustained support for NSW’s screen industry has paid dividends for our local film industry, by driving innovation and creating highly skilled jobs.”

Mr Stoner said the scale of the production of Gods of Egypt meant several of the State’s visual effects companies would also be used to create the film’s astonishing sets, landscapes and creatures.

“The decision by the producers of Gods of Egypt to base themselves in Sydney confirms that NSW offers exceptionally experienced cast and crew, cutting edge facilities, and value for money.”

ABS figures for the Film, Television and Digital Games sector show that NSW continues to lead in this sector, with nearly 60 per cent of all people employed nationally in production and post-production businesses based in NSW.

 

More than half (55 per cent) of all Australian production and post-production businesses are located in NSW, with a total income of more than $1.58 billion in 2011-12.