Image: Taika Waititi filming FING! in Queensland, courtesy Story Bridge Films and King Bert Productions
Screen Australia's annual Drama Report has revealed that, for the first time, Queensland was the number one state for screen production in 2024-25, achieving a record $925 million in local expenditure.
Through a steady pipeline of high budget productions including Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, Voltron and season two of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Queensland's screen sector captured 34 per cent of the market in the last financial year, representing an increase of 32 per cent on the 2022-23 record of $700 million.
The largest growth area was from international features with Queensland expenditure more than tripling from the previous year through productions such as Balls Up, Runnerand Spa Weekend.
Minister for the Arts John Paul-Langbroek said that Queensland's $925 million screen production boom provided employment for more than 5,000 local cast, crew and creatives every year and supported small businesses across a range of industries.
"The Crisafulli Government is proud to back our screen industry through the work of Screen Queensland and today's figures show our competitive incentives are delivering for the state.
"As well as the many jobs on set, screen production expenditure flows into our communities. From catering to construction, accommodation to accounting, landscaping, transport and more, when cameras are rolling in Queensland, we all benefit."
"Through the Queensland's Time to Shine strategy, our government is also committed to building the next generation of screen practitioners across production, post-production and digital games by opening up career pathways across the industry," Minister Langbroek said.
Jacqui Feeney, Screen Queensland CEO said Queensland has a stellar reputation for screen production both locally and internationally, with certainty around the state government's screen incentives and the federal Location Offset ensuring a steady stream of projects.
"Some of the world's leading producers say it's our winning combination of renowned crews, versatile locations, first-class studios and unbeatable lifestyle that makes them want to come to Queensland, and their experience here is what keeps them coming back," Ms Feeney said.
"Today's Drama Report results are testament to the strength of our screen production sector and demonstrate that when our industry is supported by all levels of government, the global sector recognises that Queensland is open for business.
"As well as regular repeat work from the likes of Amazon MGM Studios and Legendary Pictures, Screen Queensland has been supporting a strong slate of local projects and international co-productions with global appeal, such as Allen, Black Snow, Dangerous Animals, FING!, Muster Dogs, Spit, The Pout-Pout Fish, Two Years Later and of course, it doesn't get bigger than Bluey."
"Our post-production sector continues to secure both end-to-end local productions and attracted projects that are keen to take advantage of our outstanding sound, picture, music and visual FX capabilities-a key element of the screen ecosystem that we are committed to building through initiatives such as our $5 million Capital Grants Program."
Upcoming productions made in Queensland and coming soon to cinemas include Boxing Day comedy Anaconda, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, as well as New Year's Day animated family film The Pout-Pout Fish from Brisbane's award-winning Like A Photon Creative.
