Our fave Aussie export Chris Hemsworth has weighed in on why he reckons his celebrity peers are flocking to Australia (head here for a list of stars who are currently chilling Down Under, be it for work reasons or simply ‘cos they wanted to remove themselves from the abject CHAOS that is America).
“The weather is fantastic, and we’re very hidden away. I always knew I loved it here, of course, but this year has really solidified that for me,” Hemsworth told The Australian Financial Review. Fair call.
The actor, who has been filming Escape from Spiderhead on the Gold Coast, reckons Hollywood stars have cottoned on to the fact that the Aussie lifestyle is, for lack of a better term, a vibe and a half.
“People love Australia and they know how much talent is here, and what a diverse landscape for shooting we have,” he said.
Hemsworth has long been an advocate for bringing Hollywood Down Under as he convinced Marvel Studios to shoot Thor: Ragnarok at Village Roadshow studios on the Gold Coast. Also, the next Thor flick will be shot at Fox Studios in Sydney in January which is a ‘yuge win for us Sydneysiders (and Australia in general!).
Chris Hemsworth in the absolute masterpiece that was Thor: Ragnarok. (Credit: Marvel)
“Ragnarok was a turning point for the Thor franchise in many ways and personally, it was a hugely enjoyable experience because I was close to home, I could see my kids and wife,” he said.
Chris Hemsworth added that while the franchise could have chosen any number of countries to film in, Australia is “the best place to be right now.”
There are a bunch of big productions being filmed in Australia at the mo, including Bosch & Rockit starring Chris’ older brother Luke and Isabel Lucas, as well as Seriously Red starring Rose Byrne, Stan Original Film Gold starring Zac Efron and, of course, Nine Perfect Strangers with our very own Nicole Kidman.
Meanwhile Sacha Baron Cohen, otherwise known as Borat, is also living in Australia RN with his Aussie wife Isla Fisher and their fam. The actor put his two cents in on the great Hollywood vs. Australia debate in an interview earlier this week.
“I think there’s more and more filming coming here because it’s safe, right?” he told the ABC.
“You’re one of the few countries in the world [where] the politicians stepped aside – whatever you want to think about the politicians – stepped aside and said, ‘Okay, let’s let the scientists run the show’, and it’s been amazingly effective. I really hope it continues.”
All I can say is, if Chris Hemsworth is down with it, then who am I to argue?
