Marvel to film Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney, creating 2,500 jobs
Marvel is set to film the next instalment of its Thor film series, Thor: Love and Thunder, at Fox Studios in Sydney.
The studio’s commitment comes after the Morrison government announced a $24.1m Location Incentive Grant for the local film industry, which is supported by the New South Wales government.
Chris Hemsworth (second from right) stars as the titular character Thor
In April, Marvel and the NSW government announced an unnamed project was also set to be filmed in the Sydney Fox Studios location, which was later revealed to be Shang-Chi and the Legend of
the Ten Rings, confirmed at San Diego Comicon this week.
Good news for local production houses and allied service businesses.
But the claim of the Federal Minister that “The film is expected to invest over $178m in our economy, create up to 2,500 jobs and use the services of around 1,650 businesses,” seems a stretch.
I am certain that it will employ 2,500 people working on the production, but creating jobs means new jobs for additional people (and in many cases people who had previously dropped out of the industry due to lack of work so were serving smashed avo and coffee).
All well and good, but the NSW government needs to start paying attention to infrastructure; you know… those boring below-the-line departments.
It’s been some time since Fox Studios represented anything resembling the heart of the Sydney film community, Create NSW enthusiasm notwithstanding. Leichhardt’s Canal Road Film Centre, on the other hand, houses the majority of local film (& arguably, national) film industry resources, from grips to gaffers to set builders, production offices, specialist shoe maker, wig maker, a comprehensive prop store to Australia’ principal professional wardrobe resource for film & TV. The circa 20 year old film centre has been without a lease for 4 years because the state government can’t / won’t grant security; we’ve already recently lost the production offices at Callan Park, & a lot of work to more forward-thinking supportive states (Queensland, South Australia & Victoria).
It’s wake-up time or NSW will have no film industry as well as no live music industry to speak of; it’s high time the arts stopped playing second fiddle to sport &/or incompetence & corruption (I’m looking at you Sydney Stadium / WestCONnex, etc.).
If Chris Hemsworth is not in this; sorry no dice….and BTW the only reason any Australian Government will invest because they will make money from this; something they would have been reluctant to do sixteen years ago.Or just invest in arts more than sport and everything else that is sending that country down the shitter.
Hi can I please have a job for thor love and thunder! I’m here if you need me