Being made for NBC in the United States and scheduled to air before the end of the year,
the effects-heavy production will spend around $71 million in Australia, more than $60 million of it in Victoria. It is the most expensive
TV production in Victoria since Steven Spielberg’s HBO series
The Pacific wrapped in 2009.
La Brea joins a growing list of shows Universal has shifted to Australia in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and in response to generous incentives from state and federal governments.
He noted that the
COVID protocols in place on La Brea add about $300,000 to the cost of each episode, but would cost twice as much in the States, where testing is more frequent. Over the course of 10 episodes, that means shooting in Australia will result in a saving of $3 million.
