Queensland’s Gold Coast will step in for Los Angeles this month as Russell Crowe begins filming on a new Hollywood thriller.
Crowe returns to the Sunshine State to reunite with Unhinged director and co-writer Derrick Borte on Bear Country.
Bear Country , adapted from Thomas Perry’s 2010 novel Strip, sees Crowe play ageing, but formidable club owner Manco Kapak.
When a robbery sidelines his retirement plans and his girlfriend grows distant, Kapak’s plans for a quiet life are shattered.
“After the great experience we shared on Unhinged, I’d been looking for another project with Russell … one that would allow him to show more of what so many people (including myself) loved so much about Jackson Healy in The Nice Guys – and we both immediately knew that Bear Country was the one,” Borte told Dateline last year.
As well as reuniting with Borte, the movie marks Crowe’s return to filming on the Gold Coast, where he shot Land of Bad with Luke and Liam Hemsworth in 2022.
In Land of Bad, the Gold Coast substituted for the southern Philippines in an action war movie.
Arts Minister and Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek said the Queensland government’s production attraction strategy played an important role in helping to secure Bear Country for the state.
Langbroek also said the increasing number of Queensland-based productions plays an important role in generating a steady pipeline of work for the state’s film industry.
“The recent boost in productions opens the door for Queenslanders wanting to build a career in the screen sector, with Bear Country employing about 95 people while generating an estimated $11.9 million for the economy,” he said.
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said Bear Country will benefit from the skill and expertise of local screen practitioners as well as helping grow the industry’s next generation.
“Bear Country will also provide crucial training opportunities for emerging crew through our attachment program, which offers paid, on-set positions working under experienced industry veterans,” Feeney said.
State and federal funding incentives have been major drawcards for international movie makers, especially the national Screen Production Incentive Scheme, the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) offset and the Producer’s Offset.
“Screen production continues to grow globally, and Australia is reaping the benefits of this incredible opportunity,” VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher previously told The New Daily.
“Not just as a world-class destination to film international blockbusters but more so through positioning ourselves as a leading international creative partner,” she said.
