Kate Walsh looks to produce in WA
"Why aren't we shooting here?" asks Hollywood star after 3 months of quarantine in Perth.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Coronavirus, News, Video
Hollywood actress and producer Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice) wants to produce US television in Western Australia.
Walsh has been quarantined in Cottesloe for the past 3 months, after visiting Perth in March and opting to stay rather than return to Hollywood.
Last night she told Seven’s locally-produced current affairs program, Flashpoint, she believes US television and movie productions will be closed for business until at least 2021.
Walsh sees Western Australia as being in a unique position, being virtually virus free, with varied landscapes, a favourable dollar and local actors and crew.
She has already had positive discussions with the WA Minister for Culture and Arts, David Templeman, and is due to meet with the WA Treasurer, Ben Wyatt, later in the month in an effort to convince the state it needs to invest in a world-class production hub – servicing all stages of the production process, as well as a state-of-the-art sound stage. An investment NSW, QLD, VIC and SA governments have already made.
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- Tagged with Flashpoint, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice
2 Responses
I think it will be a long shot, especial with the limited film tax credits/incentives in WA.
She raises a good point that there is limited studio space for larger Hollywood productions.
Smaller productions could be a possibility this year but not 22+ episode a year US style broadcast series.
There need to be a lot more interment into the WA film infrastructure before it will happen.
Also the reason why there is not a lot of production in the Kimberly and other regional parts of WA is due the cost of transporting material and people into the location and back out again.
If there was investment into these regional areas it could be a unique opportunity for film makers to explore.
Good on her for at least trying to give it a go. Why not see what happens.. Lets look at the positive message she wants to bring to WA let alone Australian production ….