Written by new-contact on Feb 15, 2013. Posted in Incentive News

Australia courts Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with bigger filming incentive

Australia is courting Disney’s big-budget remake 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Captain Nemo by doubling its location filming offset for a one-off payment. Disney has scouted filming locations in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales for the shoot that David Fincher will direct.

The location filming offset in Australia is worth 16.5%, but Disney wants a deal closer to the 30% figure that was agreed for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine (right) last year. It would amount to a rebate for Disney of about USD19 million on its local spend.

“We've made our offer but the deal is not yet done,” Australia’s Arts Minister Simon Crean told Fairfax Media: “It's contingent on similar commitments that New South Wales made to Wolverine and likewise in Queensland. If it comes off this will be a bigger production than Wolverine. In fact it will be the biggest production ever filmed in Australia.”

Australia has struggled to attract big-budget productions in recent years partly because of the strength of its dollar. Mr Crean added that the country is able to offer increased support for one major feature a year, but the government is under pressure to increase the location filming offset for all productions.

If it comes off this will be a bigger production than Wolverine. In fact it will be the biggest production ever filmed in Australia.

Simon Crean, Arts Minister

David Fincher’s film will be a reimagining of Jules Verne’s 1870 sci-fi novel featuring the mysterious Captain Nemo and his futuristic submarine, but is not set to involve Brad Pitt as has been previously reported. The story was famously adapted by Disney for a classic 1954 feature starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason.