FILM PRODUCTION IS NOW READY TO GO GOLD COAST STARING ALAN RITCHSON

Screen Queensland has revealed that Runner star Alan Ritchson is returning to Queensland, Australia to begin filming a new Amazon MGM Studios feature about decorated NAVY Seal hero Mike Thornton.

Directed by Australia’s Patrick Hughes (Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, War Machine), the untitled feature depicts the incredible real-life struggle for survival in the hostile waters of the South China Sea that earned Mike Thornton a Congressional Medal of Honor. Alan Ritchson (Reacher, Fast X) is set to star alongside Joe Cole (Subversion, A Prayer Before Dawn) and Hoa Xuande (The Sympathizer, Avatar: The Last Airbender).

Filming begins in January at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, with the project secured for the state through Screen Queensland’s Production Strategy and the Federal Government’s Location Offset.

“This latest project for Amazon MGM Studios will create employment for around 260 local cast and crew while injecting an estimated $50 million into the Queensland economy and supporting numerous small businesses.”

Jacqui Feeney, Screen Queensland CEO said that Queensland’s expertise with military and water-based projects made it a perfect choice to bring Mike Thornton’s remarkable story to the screen.

“Queensland crews have an internationally renowned reputation for delivering complex action films and series and it’s fantastic to start the new year with such an ambitious production coming into Village Roadshow Studios,” Ms Feeney said.

Director Patrick Hughes said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to bring this project back to Australia. The Gold Coast offers world-class crews, facilities, and locations, making it an ideal home for a production of this scale. I’m thrilled to be working with Screen Queensland to bring this film to life.”

The untitled Mike Thornton project is the latest production in a growing slate of Queensland-made films for Amazon MGM Studios, which includes Balls Up, The Bluff, Voltron and Subversion.