Indian film superstar Priyanka Chopra Jonas to star in Gold Coast production 'The Bluff'

Set in the 19th century Caribbean, the feature film follows a former female pirate who must protect her family when the mysterious sins of her past catch up to her.

The film, starring Indian screen icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas and New Zealand actor Karl Urban, was secured through the Queensland Government’s Production Attraction Strategy by Screen Queensland, and will also utilise Village Roadshow Studios’ facilities including water tanks, which are the largest in Australia.  

Chopra Jonas has a prolific career in film, music and as a writer, and in 2016 was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, followed by her inclusion in the BBC 100 Women list in 2022.

Outside of Bollywood, she had a brekathrough role in American thriller series Quantico which earned her a People's Choice Award for Favourite Actress In A New TV Series, and among other credits in 2021 she starred in the we-llreceived Netflix film The White Tiger adapted from Aravind Adiga's Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name. 

She has been married to musician Nick Jonas since 2018 - a year when she also started investing in technology companies, including the then-startup Bumble. She also has 91 million followers on Instagram.

Other actors to star in The Bluff include Ismael Cruz Cordova, Safia Oakley-Green and Vedanten Naidoo.

Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch says the Queensland Government is proud to continue its investment in Queensland’s local screen industry and to be growing the state’s reputation as a global screen production hub.   

“Securing The Bluff from Amazon MGM Studios and AGBO in Queensland reinforces our commitment to building long-term screen careers in the state, where locally based creatives can work on high-profile films and series of scale and also turn their remarkable talents to telling Queensland’s own screen stories," Minister Enoch says.

“Production of The Bluff in Queensland will contribute an estimated $42.3 million to the local economy through production expenditure, create jobs for about 600 talented Queensland screen practitioners and will showcase Queensland’s stunning locations and extraordinary crew and creatives."

Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney says that The Bluff will benefit from Queensland’s highly skilled crews and creatives. 

“Our state’s screen practitioners are rightly in demand by the world’s leading filmmakers, and their talents will be put to incredible use on The Bluff,” she says. 

“Our local practitioners’ vast experience in water work, stunts, design and costumes will shine on The Bluff. We are also pleased to be collaborating with acclaimed independent studio AGBO on our Attachment Program, ensuring our industry’s next generation has the opportunity to work on a film of this scale and ambition.”  

AGBO producer and chief creative officer Angela Russo-Otstot says the "breathtaking landscapes and world-class facilities" of Queensland provide an unparalleled backdrop for storytelling.

"We are thrilled to bring The Bluff here, collaborating with the immensely talented local crews and creatives who make this region a true cinematic hub," she says.

Frank E. Flowers is directing The Bluff from a script he wrote alongside Joe Ballarini. Producers include AGBO’s Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Michael Disco; Cinestar Pictures’ Cisely Saldana and Mariel Saldana; and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Executive producers include AGBO’s Chris Castaldi, Ari Costa, and Kassee Whiting; Cinestar Pictures’ Zoe Saldaña; Rocket Science’s Thorsten Schumacher; Joe Ballarini; and Frank E. Flowers. Sarah Finn, AGBO’s longtime collaborator for casting direction, is also executive producing.