'20,000 Leagues' to be filmed in Australia
Australia: '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' will be filmed Down Under in $22.6 million deal
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- The Australian government has announced that U.S. production company The Walt Disney Studios will film the movie remake of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in Australia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Tuesday that the government will pay producers 21.6 million Australia dollars ($22.6 million) to make the movie in Australia.
The announcement comes after "The Wolverine" starring Australian actor Hugh Jackman recently wrapped filming in Sydney.
Gillard said the "The Wolverine" created more than 1,750 jobs, contracted more than 1,027 Australian companies and generated AU$80 million in investment.
A strong Australian dollar buoyed by a mining boom has made Australia less attractive to Hollywood as a film-making location in recent years.
