Thirteen Lives director Ron Howard has returned to Queensland, starting production next week on survival thriller Eden, starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney.
Whereas the Gold Coast doubled for Tham Laung in Howard’s 2021 Thirteen Lives, it will become the Galapagos Islands for his upcoming film, which follows a group of people who, fuelled by a desire for change, turn their back on society and set their futures on the harsh landscape of the volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
Written by Tetris scribe Noah Pink, the film is being produced by Howard, Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder for Imagine Entertainment, alongside Bill Connor, Patrick Newall and AGC Studios’ Stuart Ford.
It was lured to Australia via Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy and supported by the Federal Government’s Location Incentive with the expectation it will generate an estimated $26.5 million for the Queensland economy and create more than 300 local jobs
Howard said he was pleased to be able to continue his collaboration with Queensland’s film industry.
“I have always been impressed with the professionalism and creative spirit of the Australian film community,” he said.
“My experience with our Queensland crew on Thirteen Lives only confirmed that and more.”
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said Howard’s return following Thirteen Lives was a testament to the state’s “highly experienced crews and creatives, stunning locations, first-class facilities and generous production incentives”.
“Our state’s screen sector is achieving record-breaking levels of production expenditure, as demonstrated by the recent Screen Australia Drama Report, and Screen Queensland is proud to support a robust roster of homegrown films and series as well as high-profile international projects,” she said.