Godzilla and Kong are getting ready for another duel Down Under, with Legendary Entertainment returning to Queensland to film the next chapter in the MonsterVerse franchise.
The sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong will receive $16 million via the Federal Government’s $540 million Location Incentive Program, with the expectation it will inject more than $119 million into the economy, employ more than 500 local cast and crew, and more than 750 extras while in production on the Gold Coast and elsewhere in South East Queensland.
The Queensland Government has also contributed $6.3 million to the production under Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.
Legendary Entertainment previously shot Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong in the state in 2016 and 2019 respectively. The latter set a new box offfice benchmark for post-COVID openings when it was released in March, going on to gross more than $US450 million worldwide.
Directed by Adam Wingard, the story follows the two iconic monsters as they are pitted against each other in an epic battle royale. The cast included Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, and Alexander Skarsgård.
Producer Eric McLeod said the team was excited to come back to Australia for the next chapter.
“The highly skilled crews, first-rate facilities, and unique locations make filming in Australia a great experience,” he said.
“The support from both the Federal Government as well as Queensland has always been critical to our success in achieving a high level of filmmaking and an unparalleled audience experience.”
The sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong is the 15th production drawn to Queensland under the location incentive, joining other projects such as Ticket to Paradise, season two of The Wilds, Thirteen Lives, Young Rock, Irreverent, Joe Vs Carole, Escape From Spiderhead, and Australian Survivor.
To date, the Federal Government has distributed more than $289 million under the scheme to attract 29 international productions to Australia.
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, Paul Fletcher said the benefits from the latest announcement would extend beyond financial investment.
“The sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong will boost local businesses in and around the Gold Coast and South East Queensland, provide valuable training opportunities for our up-and-coming industry talent, and showcase Australia’s vibrant and versatile landscapes,” he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said expected the production to inject more than double the $36.5 million that Godzilla vs. Kong brought to the state in a “welcome boost” to the economy following the impacts of the global pandemic and the recent floods.
“These types of productions benefit our screen industry, deliver local jobs and provide a welcome boost to our small businesses and communities in and around our production sites,” she said.
As yet, no date has been confirmed for production to start, but a Federal Government spokesperson said it was expected to be “in the coming months”.