Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales looks set to shoot in Australia in early 2015.
While the Walt Disney Studios has not announced the location, Australian talent agents say a casting call has gone out for two key roles and a mid-February shoot is planned.
Australia’s chances of landing the production, which has a reported budget of more than $200 million, were enhanced when the federal government agreed to give Disney the $21.6 million incentive which had been offered by the previous government as an inducement to shoot the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remake in Oz.
That project was shelved after director David Fincher departed, later blaming "Disney's corporate culture" and differences over casting.
Disney asked the government to reassign the funds to Pirates 5 and to boost the total incentive to 30% of the budget. IF understands the studio wanted an extra $7 million, either from the feds or one of the state agencies. Queensland and the Fox Studios seem the most likely locations.
Two Disney executives and top-notch Hollywood production manager Joe Caracciolo are due to arrive in Australia next week. Catherine McDonnell is the local producers’ rep.
Pirates of the Caribbean 5 will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, scripted by Jeff Nathanson and directed by Norwegians Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, the pair who made Kon-Tiki, Max Manus: Man of War and Bandidas.