​Russell Crowe and Priyanka Chopra Jonas have returned to Queensland, joining Michael Chiklis on the Gold Coast as production gets underway on sci-fi action thriller Bluefly. Directed by Nimród Antal, the ambitious feature sees international star power converge on south-east Queensland for a narrative set thousands of kilometres away in the dense, militia-held river territory of the Congo.
Bluefly centres on a U.S. special ops unit deployed on a covert operation to retrieve a missing, high-tech military aircraft. Navigating the hostile terrain is a team comprising former pilot Benny, portrayed by Crowe, and UN interpreter Myla Reese, played by Chopra Jonas. The mission is led by government operative John Broyles, played by Emmy award-winning actor Michael Chiklis. As the unit advances upriver into militia territory, the reality of their surroundings begins to fracture under the influence of an anomalous, powerful force buried deep in the jungle.
The shoot marks Crowe’s third Queensland-made feature in recent years, reinforcing a sustained creative relationship with the state following Highland Film Group and Broken Open Pictures’ Gold Coast collaboration Land of Bad, as well as his 2026 release The Get Out. Chopra Jonas also makes a swift return to the sunshine state after completing work on The Bluff in 2025. Chiklis joins the ensemble following his work on The Mongoose.
Behind the lens, the production delivers immediate and tangible benefits to the local economy. State authorities project that the shoot will inject an estimated $7.3 million into Queensland through direct local expenditure. That spending flows across a diverse supply chain of Gold Coast businesses, servicing everything from accommodation and transport to construction, logistics, and catering. On the studio floor and on location, Bluefly is directly employing roughly 190 skilled crew members, while also opening pathways for emerging local screen talent through the Screen Queensland Attachment Program.
Minister for the Arts, John-Paul Langbroek, highlighted the state’s broader economic and creative positioning, pointing to the structured policy underpinning the arrival of large-scale international shoots. He noted that through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, the Crisafulli Government is delivering a consistent pipeline of high-profile productions for the state, with projects benefitting from Queensland's crew base, facilities, versatile locations, and lifestyle.
Screen Queensland’s Executive Director of Screen Content, Julie Eckersley, underscored the regional capabilities required to service intense physical cinema. She affirmed that Queensland maintains a proven track record for high-end action projects, with local crews adept at stunt work, weapons handling, and complex location shoots, including water sequences, alongside an array of technical expertise essential for shoots of this nature. Eckersley noted that acting as a trusted partner for the producers and cast of Bluefly reflects the state's enduring standing as a production paradise for screen stories of genuine scale.
That confidence is shared by the filmmaking team on the ground. Producer Deborah Glover of G2 Dispatch stated that Queensland continues to be a fantastic place to make films, pointing to exceptional crews, diverse locations, and world-class facilities. She added that while Bluefly is an ambitious production, the team is fortunate to have the local talent and expertise required to bring it to life, expressing gratitude for the ongoing backing of Screen Queensland and the Gold Coast.
The production receives support across multiple levels of government, backed by the Australian Government through the Location Offset, the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, and local government via the Gold Coast Film Commission and Invest Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program.
Produced by Michael Jefferson for Polite Society, David Frigerio and RuthAnne Frigerio for Broken Open Pictures, Deborah Glover for G2 Dispatch, Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier for Highland Film Group, alongside Vanessa Yao Guo and Petr Jákl, Bluefly arrives as global interest ramps up. Executive produced by Lia Buman, Guy Davies, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Jason Kringstein, Katie Leary, Scott Levenson, and James Norbury, the film has Highland Film Group managing worldwide rights, with sales continuing at the American Film Market in Los Angeles.
Bluefly adds to an active local production landscape that includes the UK series Feral, alongside recently wrapped or current projects such as Allen, The Mosquito Bowl, and Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. They stand alongside a slate of forthcoming international releases, including Who The Hell is Hamish?, followed in 2027 by season three of Black Snow, FING!, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, Dustfall, and The Mark.
