SYDNEY — The New South Wales government has made an aggressive bid to persuade Warners to shoot the “Superman” sequel in this state — even before the pic has been greenlit.
“I have made it clear to Warner Bros. that NSW will cooperate, providing assistance at all levels, to get the (next) ‘Superman’ off the ground,” said deputy premier-treasurer Andrew Refshauge.
“We won’t want to see international filmmakers bogged down by red tape,” added Refshauge.
Helmed by Bryan Singer, “Superman” is due to crank up March 7 at the Fox Studios in Sydney. The producers are building giant sets of Gotham in two soundstages and spanning the area between those stages.
Earlier plans to build permanent sets at the Warner Roadshow Studios in Queensland — which, after filming, could have been used as an attraction for the adjoining WB Movieworld theme park — were scrapped as too costly.
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Warner reps have made scouting trips to NSW country locations for the sequel, “Red Sun,” including the New England area as a possible site for Clark Kent’s childhood home.
The NSW government estimates the “Matrix” sequels contributed more than $A200 million ($160 million) to the state’s economy.
