A new Netflix project from the director of Friday Night Lights and The Kingdom starts filming in Queensland this month with production of The Mosquito Bowl expected to boost the state economy by $80 million.
Adapted by director Peter Berg from a best-selling book by Buzz Bissinger, the film follows four of America's top college football stars who set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
As they prepare for the brutal invasion of Okinawa, they’ll play in a legendary game that for many will be their last.
Actors announced for the film include Nicholas Galitzine (The Idea of You), Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu), Ray Nicholson (Novocaine) and Tom Francis (Sunset Blvd).
"I’m thrilled to be in Queensland filming The Mosquito Bowl with some of the best crews in the world. The landscapes here are cinematic gold - perfect for bringing this story to life," says director Peter Berg.
"So far, I’ve crossed paths with two kangaroos and a couple of pythons, and I’m seriously considering casting them. Huge thanks to Screen Queensland for their incredible support in helping make this production possible."
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney says the state's locations are ideal for The Mosquito Bowl, and the production continues a trusted partnership with global commissioners such as Netflix to deliver Queensland-made films and series for audiences worldwide.
"Queensland’s screen ecosystem delivers consistently and our reputation for realising a director’s vision is second to none," Feeney says.
"We are proud to support a strong pipeline of projects for our local screen practitioners working in production and post-production. Importantly, they also create the opportunity to build the sector’s next generation, who gain experience on large scale productions through training initiatives such as our Attachment Program."
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek says that the government’s Production Attraction Strategy has helped build Queensland’s international reputation as an ideal home for prestige productions.
"This exciting new Netflix blockbuster will benefit from our local screen sector’s extensive experience with high-end action films, including stunt work," Minister Langbroek says.
"During production, The Mosquito Bowl will employ about 515 cast and crew, boosting our economy by $80 million."
2025 has been a significant year for Screen Queensland, supporting locally made films and series including Allen, Anaconda, Bear Country, FING!, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, Posthumous, Runner, Spa Weekend, Two Years Later and Voltron. Recent releases include Black Snow, Dangerous Animals, Darby and Joan, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Nautilus, Spit and The Lost Tiger, along with forthcoming films Eden and Mortal Kombat 2.
The Mosquito Bowl is produced by Peter Berg for Film 44, Brian Grazer for Imagine Entertainment and Alex Gayner, written by Peter Berg and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Twisters, American Primeval). Ezra Emanuel serves as Executive Producer. This is the latest project out of the creative partnership between Peter Berg’s Film 44 and Netflix.
"Thank you to Screen Queensland, and the Queensland and Federal Governments for their support in bringing The Mosquito Bowl, directed by Peter Berg, to the Sunshine State," says Netflix's director of production policy, APAC, Debra Richards.
"Queensland consistently punches above its weight in attracting world class screen productions, and we’re proud to bring another major Netflix title to the state."
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