Yahoo News Universal Studio Group Set to Shoot Three TV Shows in Australia
Universal Studio Group is set to shoot three high-end TV series, “Young Rock,” “Joe Exotic” and “Irreverent,” in Australia over the next 18 months.
“Young Rock” from Universal Television, “Joe Exotic” from UCP and “Irreverent” from NBCUniversal International Studios’s Matchbox Pictures will shoot at Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane, as well as surrounding locations in South East Queensland and Far North Queensland.
The plan leverages resources under the Universal Studio Group umbrella, including the production infrastructure which will be overseen by Matchbox Pictures, a leading Australian production company.
The three productions are expected to bring at least $103 million to the Australian economy and creative sector, notably through the hiring of than 3,500 local cast and crew members.
The productions of “Young Rock,” “Joe Exotic” and “Irreverent” will also invest more than $4.5 million in the VFX industry and will tap into Australia’s post-production houses.
“Young Rock” is being produced for NBC, while “Joe Exotic” will span three of NBCUniversal’s distribution platforms – Peacock, NBC and USA. “Irreverent” is being developed and produced for the global market. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will be handling international sales for all three titles.
“This initiative encapsulates all of the goals we had in mind when we aligned the three studios — Universal Television, UCP and NBCUniversal International Studios — under the Universal Studio Group umbrella,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, the chairman of Universal Studio Group.
“Not only are we leveraging shared resources and utilizing talent across our three businesses, we are also partnering with the Australian Government and Screen Queensland to make a significant investment in our global community and significantly upgrade the studio infrastructure in Brisbane,” said Igbokwe.
Paul Fletcher, Australia’s Federal Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, said Universal Studio Group’s decision to film in Brisbane “demonstrates international confidence in Australia’s world-class production sector and reinforces our country’s great appeal as a COVID-safe location that boasts high caliber facilities and expertise.”
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