Green Lantern Officially Out of Australia - The UpStream

Back in August we reported that the new Green Lantern film might be forced out of Australia due to an economic surge in the country. As of this week, it is official that the cost will be too high for them to shoot there.

Australia has become a very popular film spot in recent years. With a varied landscape in a very small area, lower filming costs and a government excited to bring a new industry in, it is no wonder films from Lord of the Rings to the new Where the Wild Things Are have all shot there. Unfortunately, for the studios at least, the Australian dollar has been rising in value against the US dollar. What this means for the studios is that the cost of production keeps going up every time there is a rise in their dollar. The Hollywood Reporter explains it like this:

On Friday the Australian dollar hit a 27-year high against the U.S. dollar, closing at 95 cents, a 30% decrease in value for the greenback since the shoot was announced six months ago, and which would reportedly add over $20 million in cost to the production. The Aussie dollar is being tipped by analysts to reach parity with the U.S. dollar in the coming weeks and could go as high as AUS$1.10 next year.

So, where does that leave the new film? Well, rumor has it the studio is looking at Mexico and Canada. Both countries seem to be realistic. Mexico, for example, has the vast desert-looking landscapes that they might have been looking for in Australia, plus an obviously weak economy. Canada, on the other hand, is incredibly production-friendly. Most major TV shows and many movies are filmed there because of major tax breaks to bring the industry in. Either way, we do hope to see this film, and hope it isn't terrible (yes, I'm looking at you Spider-man 3).