Photo by Gilbert Flores (Variety via Getty Images)
International action thriller Empire City, starring Gerard Butler, is set to film in Melbourne this month — bringing a major boost to Victoria's screen sector.
The production will create 350 jobs for local crew and 860 roles for cast, casuals, and extras, offering valuable employment and development opportunities for Victorian screen workers. Attracted to Victoria by VicScreen's Victorian Screen Rebate, the film will engage 600 local businesses and inject over $35 million into the state's economy.
Melbourne's iconic architecture will stand in for New York City, with filming taking place at locations across Melbourne and at Docklands Studios Melbourne.
In Empire City, when a hostage crisis erupts inside New York's landmark Clybourn Building, firefighter Rhett (Butler), his squad, and his NYPD wife Dani, must fight and navigate their way through the building to rescue the captives.
Empire City is the latest film to be made in Victoria by leading local producer Paul Currie, producer of Academy Award winner Hacksaw Ridge and Academy Award nominated Better Man. The first production to film at Docklands Studios Sound Stage 6 (a $46 million capital expenditure project funded by the Victorian Government), Better Man created 2,920 jobs for local screen workers – including 428 in regional Victoria – and engaged 841 local businesses, injecting over $142 million into the state's economy.
Empire City is produced by Marc Butan (Plane, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Alan Siegel (Den of Thieves, Paris Has Fallen), and Currie, and directed by Michael Matthews (Love and Monsters), from a script by Brian Tucker (Secret Invasion), and S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk).
Empire City stars international screen superstar Gerard Butler, whose films include Plane, Den of Thieves and the Has Fallen trilogy. It also stars Hayley Atwell of the last two Mission: Impossible films and the Captain America franchise.
Butler also starred in How to Train Your Dragon, which featured the work of Melbourne animation and visual effects studio, Framestore. How To Train Your Dragon injected over $10.5 million into the Victorian economy and generated 115 jobs in animation and visual effects for Victoria's skilled screen practitioners.
Empire City is the latest international project to film in Victoria this year, following horror movie Insidious 6, psychological drama The Dispatcher, football biopic The Untitled John Tuggle Project, World War II thriller Play Dead and Liam Neeson action feature The Mongoose.
Empire City was attracted to the state through the Victorian Screen Rebate and also received support from the Australian Government's Location Offset.
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, "Victoria is now a global screen powerhouse, known for our magnificent locations, state-of-the-art screen infrastructure, and world class talent. Visionaries like Paul Currie bring major productions to the state, enabling Victorian screen workers to advance their craft and supporting hundreds of local businesses."
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said, "Victoria has the skills, talent and infrastructure to attract and bring to life major screen productions. Projects like Empire City engage local businesses, create local screen industry jobs, and fuel our economy."
Empire City producer Marc Butan said, "From the moment I arrived in Melbourne and met with the team at VicScreen, I knew it was the perfect place to make a film."
Empire City producer Paul Currie said, "The state's artists, technicians, and facilities are second to none, and together we're crafting a film that pushes the boundaries of commercial storytelling that hopefully connects with audiences everywhere."
Learn more about the Victorian Screen Rebate
