Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson and Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks announced Wētā FX will expand operations at their Abbotsford facility, thanks to support from Invest Victoria, VicScreen and Creative Victoria.
Wētā FX is an Academy Award-winning visual effects (VFX) company that has worked on blockbuster films including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar: The Way of Water and most recently Better Man – the largest movie ever to be filmed in Victoria, which created almost 3,000 jobs and injected $142 million into the Victorian economy.
With their trailblazing work recognised in Hollywood including winning the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, Wētā FX has become hugely influential in the film and television industry. The expanded Melbourne hub is set to attract international productions to the state and grow the pipeline of Victorian and Australian-made productions.
Wētā FX’s expansion will also increase local jobs in production and animation, highlighting Victoria as a destination for world-class post-production and visual effects. The Government also recently supported Spanish production company Fever to establish its ANZ headquarters in Melbourne.
The Victorian Government’s screen strategy has also to date created 44,000 jobs for Victorians and generated $1.9 billion in direct economic expenditure across the state – backing businesses and local jobs.
The recently unveiled Economic Growth Statement will drive investment and unlock opportunities for economic growth, with key initiatives that will see national and international companies expand in Victoria.
