Award-winning visual effects and animation studio Iloura has secured work on Columbia Pictures’ sequel to 2007 superhero movie Ghost Rider.
Touted as “the state’s biggest ever visual effects package”, Iloura will work with other VFX vendors on more than 500 shots for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, scheduled to be released next year.
“Being appointed as one of the studios is an acknowledgement of Iloura’s growing reputation in delivering high-quality visual effects,” Iloura executive producer Simon Rosenthal said in a statement.
“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance presents us with another tremendous opportunity to work on a complex, Hollywood CG project.”
The original, also starring Nicolas Cage, was filmed in Melbourne for five months in 2005, however the sequel – which is still being shot – went to Romania and Turkey instead, due to the high Australian dollar.
Innovation, Services and Small Business minister Louise Asher said the film was attracted to the state by Film Victoria’s Post Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) incentive, part of the successful Production Investment Attraction Fund.
The Melbourne-based VFX company, which is also currently doing work on The Killer Elite, will employ up to 50 additional people to work on the project.
Film Victoria CEO Sandra Sdraulig said the state’s creative practitioners, technical innovation, competitive incentives and competitively-priced companies kept international studios returning to Melbourne.
Iloura’s work is scheduled to be completed in August.