As part of the Australian Government's commitment to strengthening employment and development opportunities for Australia's screen sector, over 270 jobs for local cast, crew and extras will be created through the latest film production attracted down under through our highly successful Location Incentive.
Starring Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe (Unhinged, Gladiator) and Liam Hemsworth (Independence Day: Resurgence, The Hunger Games), Land of Bad will begin shooting on the Gold Coast and South East Queensland this month, with $3.9 million in support from the Location Incentive.
The action-thriller follows Reaper (Crowe), an Air Force drone pilot supporting a Delta Force special ops mission in the Philippines. After the mission goes terribly wrong, he has 48 hours to remedy what has devolved into a wild rescue operation. The Tier-One team, led by Cpt. Sugar (Milo Ventimiglia ) and Sgt. Abel (Luke Hemsworth) is re-deployed to return and retrieve their captured man and the asset.
Joined by Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), a green Air Force JTAC officer, who is thrust into the middle of a high-stakes extraction. But the ground mission suddenly turns upside down and becomes a full-scale battle when the team is discovered by the enemy. With no weapons and no communication other than the drone above, Reaper becomes the young operator's only ticket out of the Land of Bad.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the production provides Australia's screen sector with the opportunity to capitalise on its highly sought-after expertise, and to maintain its reputation as a global leader on the international stage.
Land of Bad is good news for the Australian screen sector - and I'm excited to welcome this production to our shores.
Every film we attract to Australia provides local workers with the opportunity to showcase their skills to the rest of the world. It also showcases amazing Australian landscapes to an international audience," Minister Burke said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed yet another big name production to Queensland.
"Queensland continues to shine off and on screen, which is why producers are returning to our state and local production companies are gaining global reputations," the Premier said.
"Led locally by Brisbane's Hoodlum Entertainment ,who will executive produce, Land of Bad will enjoy first-class expertise from a Queensland crew and deliver an estimated $7.7 million into the state's economy.
"I'm proud we've secured this production through Screen Queensland's Production Attraction Strategy, which is providing a pipeline of projects, boosting the economy and creating good local jobs," the Premier said.
"Working with such a superb ensemble cast led by Russell and Liam is a dream come true. They are both incredible performers who showcase the powerful sense of brotherhood between the two lead characters," said Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser.
"The Australian Government is a huge supporter of Land of Bad and we are especially happy to be in production down under," added Highland COO Delphine Perrier.
Other key cast include Luke Hemsworth (Westworld), Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us), Ricky Whittle (American Gods), Daniel MacPherson (Poker Face, Foundation), and Chika Ikogwe (Heartbreak High).
Will Eubank (Underwater, The Signal) will direct and co-wrote the film with David Frigerio (The Signal). The film is being produced by Broken Open Pictures' David Frigerio, Will Eubank, Volition Media Partners' Adam Beasley and Michael Jefferson, R.U. Robot and Highland Film Group. Highland Film Group is representing international rights to the movie.
The Australian Executive Producers are Hoodlum Entertainment's Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield and Tracey Vieira.
To date, $394 million has been committed under the Location Incentive, to attract 35 international productions to Australia. This will generate more than $2.96 billion in private investment, providing more than 21,800 employment opportunities for local cast and crew, and creating work for over 21,200 businesses that support these big productions.
