Hollywood Vietnam War movie Danger Close to be filmed in Queensland

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a major feature film about the Battle of Long Tan, Danger Close, will be shot in the state.

Ms Palaszczuk, in Los Angeles on Tuesday as part of a US trip, said she is also lobbying Hollywood studio Paramount to shoot the new live action Dora the Explorer movie in Queensland.

After holding discussions with Hollywood studio executives the past two days, the premier said it was crucial Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull boosted the tax offset for filmmakers from 16.5 per cent to a more competitive 30 per cent. She said that would attract more movie, TV and streaming production away from rival locations including California, Georgia, Louisiana, Canada, the UK and Europe.

The Battle of Long Tan – the most publicised Australian battle of the Vietnam War – took place in a rubber plantation on August 18-19, 1966 near Long Tan, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam about midway through the decade long war.

Danger Close, produced by Martin Walsh and starring Australian, Travis Fimmel, is set to begin production around Anzac Day.
In a war that involved mostly small and brief contacts with a generally unseen enemy, the Battle of Long Tan was an exception – as a pitched battle, and it was a decisive Australian victory.

The casualties exceeded any other single day loss in the Vietnam War, with 18 killed and 24 wounded but the number could have been much higher given the overwhelming force the Australian troops faced.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the movie production would bring an estimated 120 full-time jobs to Queensland as crew members and further strengthen Queensland’s position as a movie-making destination.

“We are seeing a growing number of screen productions being filmed in Queensland, and our state is forging many exciting partnerships with leading studios,” she said.

“Attracting major productions like Danger Close to Queensland supports local jobs and showcases Queensland to the world, and that is the impetus behind Screen Queensland’s initial $30 million four-year funding injection in our screen industry.”

Further meetings are set to be had between Ms Palaszczuk and major production studios such as Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney to discuss any new possible partnerships.

Ms Palaszczuk will point to other productions that have been produced in Queensland such as Thor and Aquaman along with a $20 million war chest that she committed over the past election to bring more movies to our shores.

“In my meetings with the studios, I have also highlighted the $15.5 million Village Roadshow Sound Stage 9. The 4000 square metre Sound Stage 9 was used for the filming of Thor: Ragnarok. It will host squash for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April. After the Games, I want to ensure the Sound Stage is kept busy with new film productions,” she said.

More than $214 million was spent in Queensland last financial year from direct investment by domestic and international productions.

It was also revealed through meetings with senior executives at Warner Brothers that Aquaman, filmed on the Gold Coast would be released before Christmas this year.