A currently untitled sequel to 2021 blockbuster Godzilla Vs Kong has been set to shoot in Queensland, Australia, according to government agency Screen Queensland. State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today that cameras will roll later this year in locations across the Gold Coast and the southeast on the Legendary picture which will be the fifth in its Monsterverse franchise.
Details of the sequel have been kept under wraps, although Godzilla Vs Kong director Adam Wingard told Deadline last year he would “absolutely love to continue” with the franchise. He added, “The clear starting point we teed up (in GVK), exploring Hollow Earth, I think there is a lot more to do there. This is a pre-history of Planet Earth, where all the titans come from. We tee up some mystery in this film, things I want to see resolved and explored and pushed to the next level.”
Screen Queensland reports the film will deliver an economic boost of A$79.2M ($58.6M) to the region and create 505 jobs for local cast and crew, plus opportunities for 750 extras.
Legendary/Warner Bros’ Godzilla Vs Kong previously shot in Queensland and went on to gross over $468M globally. Prior to GVK, 2017’s Kong Skull Island also set up shop in the region. Producer Eric McLeod commented, “The highly skilled crews, first-rate facilities, and unique locations make filming in Australia a great experience. The Federal government’s support has always been critical to our success in achieving a high level of filmmaking and an unparalleled audience experience.”
Added Palaszczuk, “The production is expected to inject more than double the $36.5 million that Godzilla Vs Kong brought to the state and is a welcome boost to our economy as we recover from the impacts of the global pandemic and southeast Queensland flooding events. These types of productions benefit our screen industry, deliver local jobs and provide a welcome boost to our small businesses and communities in and around our production sites.”
Since the inception of the Production Attraction Strategy in 2015, Queensland has become an increasingly popular destination for international productions. Recent projects to shoot there include NBC series Young Rock, Peacock’s Joe Vs Carole, Ron Howard’s MGM feature Thirteen Lives, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Netflix’s Spiderhead and Universal’s George Clooney/Julia Roberts romcom Ticket To Paradise. Currently filming are Disney+’s Nautilus and season two of Tim Minchin’s Foxtel series Upright.