Dora the Explorer film secured for Queensland amid tax offset row

Dora the Explorer film secured for Queensland amid tax offset row

The saga surrounding the filming of Dora the Explorer on the Gold Coast has been resolved with Screen Queensland and the Queensland Government securing the production despite having their calls for a federal government tax offset increase rejected by the Treasurer.

On Friday, Screen Queensland said they were close to a deal with Paramount Pictures which would secure the Dora film, and potentially a thousand jobs, but the production company was baulking at signing on the dotted line because the tax offset wasn't enough to convince them to go ahead.

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira called on the Federal government to increase the tax offset from 16.5 per cent to 30 per cent.

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison sent a letter to the Queensland Government saying he had rejected the request.

"I note that last year (the Queensland Government) committed to provide $20 million to attract more blockbuster films to Queensland," Morrison wrote.

"Your government is well placed to provide the necessary top-up grant from this funding to secure this investment in Queensland, without the need to call on the Commonwealth."

Despite that blunt rejection, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Monday the deal had been secured.

"This isn't only for our film industry workers it's for all the other businesses we know benefit from big productions in Queensland," she says.

The Dora film will be a live action update of the Nikelodeon animated series, in which Dora is now a teenager navigating the world with her cousin Diego.

"We could not be more thrilled to be bringing Dora to Queensland and to be able to deliver Queensland for our film," says Lee Rosenthal, President of Physical Production for Paramount Pictures.

"In Queensland, we are able to get outstanding crew, stages and a variety of jungle topography and city backdrops in essentially one place."

Dora will be filmed on the Gold Coast's $15.5 million Sound Stage 9 at Village Roadshow Studios and will be directed by James Bobin whose films include The Muppets (2011), Muppets Most Wanted (2014) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).

It's due for release in August 2019.

Never miss a news update, subscribe here. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Business News Australia

Get our daily business news

Sign up to our free email news updates.

Please tick to verify that you are not a robot

 

Help us deliver quality journalism to you.
As a free and independent news site providing daily updates
during a period of unprecedented challenges for businesses everywhere
we call on your support

Make smarter investing decisions with an Earnings Calendar
Partner Content
With the US reporting season just around the corner, it pays to know when exactly to gi...
moomoo
Advertisement

Related Stories

Afterpay owner Block Inc shares slammed following savage short seller report

Afterpay owner Block Inc shares slammed following savage short seller report

Shares in NASDAQ-listed Block Inc. (NASDAQ: SQ) - formerly Square -...

Aged care operator Estia Health receives $775m takeover offer from Bain Capital

Aged care operator Estia Health receives $775m takeover offer from Bain Capital

One of Australia’s largest residential aged care providers, E...

Invest Inya Farmer turns a shopping list of farm produce into a new investment class

Invest Inya Farmer turns a shopping list of farm produce into a new investment class

Victorian-based startup Invest Inya Farmer (IIF), armed with $1.1 m...

Board exodus at Nitro software as five directors depart, Potentia takes over

Board exodus at Nitro software as five directors depart, Potentia takes over

A Melbourne-founded software group that took on Adobe in the pdf ma...