Filming begins in Queensland this month on the action thriller Bear Country, starring Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe.
After filming Land of Bad here in late 2022, Crowe returns to the Sunshine State to reunite with Unhinged director and co-writer Derrick Borte on Bear Country, produced by Nickel City Pictures and A Higher Standard.
It looks like the new State Government is as keen to promote filmmaking here as was the Palaszczuk government, although one would advise our newish premier to go easy on the red carpet and the glitzy premieres.
Arts Minister and Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek says the Crisafulli Government’s production attraction strategy played an important role in helping to secure the blockbuster film for Queensland.
“Queensland’s international reputation as a production powerhouse continues to grow and our production attraction strategy incentive plays an important role in generating a steady pipeline of work for the state’s film industry,” Langbroek says. “The recent boost in productions opens the door for Queenslanders wanting to build a career in the screen sector, with Bear Country employing about 95 people while generating an estimated $11.9 million for the economy. I’m confident the Gold Coast’s incredible natural environment will shine in Bear Country when it conveniently doubles as Los Angeles.”
Talking about the Gold Coast makes me think of the movie we are currently watching. Bait, a 2012 film made on the Gold Coast, has just turned up on Netflix and it’s a cracker. A shame that Coolangatta is terrorised by giant sharks and wiped out in a Tsunami, however. Can that be good for tourism promotion? I guess there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
‘Bear Country will provide crucial training opportunities for emerging crew …’
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney says Bear Country will benefit from the skill and expertise of local screen practitioners as well as helping grow the industry’s next generation.
“We hear time and time again from Australian and international producers that Queensland’s crew base is second to none,” Feeney says. “It’s fantastic that we can welcome back a global star like Russell Crowe to experience all our screen production sector can offer while enjoying the best of our Queensland lifestyle.
“Bear Country will also provide crucial training opportunities for emerging crew through our attachment program, which offers paid, on-set positions working under experienced industry veterans.”
Mark Fasano, producer/CEO of Nickel City Pictures, says the Gold Coast “offers an unbeatable combination of diverse locations, talented local crews and fantastic creatives … This, combined with the great support from Screen Queensland is why I’m excited to be back in Queensland to shoot Bear Country.”
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Bear Country is adapted from the Thomas Perry novel Strip by director Derrick Borte and Daniel Forte (co-writers on American Dreamer) and sees Crowe play an ageing but formidable club owner (sounds about right), Manco Kapak. When Kapak is robbed by a masked gunman, his aspirations of selling his club and riding off into the sunset alongside his girlfriend appear more distant than ever.
Bear Country is produced by Mark Fasano (Marlowe) of Nickel City Pictures; Jeffrey Greenstein (The Hitman’s Bodyguard) of A Higher Standard; Deborah Glover (Sleeping Dogs) of G2 Dispatch; and Mark Bower and Bruno Mustic of Life & Soul Pictures. The production is supported by the City of Gold Coast and the Australian Government through the location offset.
Keep an eye out for bit parts and extras played by local actors or even someone you may know. And Premier Crisafulli and Minister Langbroek, tread carefully on that red carpet. It called Annastacia Palaszczuk quite a bit of bother.