By Brendan Swift
Green Lantern’s proposed Australian shoot is understood to be under threat after the rising Australian dollar has blown out production costs.
Warner Bros is understood to be negotiating with the NSW State Government to receive a higher level of concessions in an effort to claw back between $US15 and $US25 million in value eroded by the currency gains.
The value of the Australian dollar has climbed by more than 16 per cent since the State Labor government announced the deal to film at Fox Studios in mid-April. The big-budget Hollywood blockbuster was expected to create around 500 local jobs, including 100 performers and 200 crew.
While most offshore productions lock in finance when a project is green-lit, it is understood that ongoing work on the Green Lantern script delayed that move. Pre-production on the film was originally scheduled for July and filming for November.
A spokeswoman for NSW Premier Nathan Rees did not respond to requests for comment while a spokesman for Fox Studios declined to comment. A Warner Bros publicist referred to Roadshow, which had not responded by press time.
Two other Hollywood productions, which were secured by Queensland and Victoria earlier this year, have already begun filming.
Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader began filming at the Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast last month while the smaller-scale thriller Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is currently shooting in Melbourne.
Hugh Jackman’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine was filmed in Sydney last year while major animation productions Happy Feet 2 and Guardians of Ga’Hoole are currently also being produced locally.
– with Adam Coleman