‘Tomb Raider’ Film Updates: Reboot Skips Australia due to Limitations on Tax Incentives, Moves to South Africa Instead

‘Tomb Raider’ reboot was originally intended to film in Australia but recently skipped out on the prospect due to limitations on Federal Government tax incentives. Production for the upcoming film is reportedly moving to South Africa instead.

It was previously reported by the Gold Coast Bulletin that Roar Uthaug’s upcoming ‘Tomb Raider’ chose Australia’s Gold Coast for filming, which industry sources say would begin sometime in Feburary. Uthaug’s film will star Alicia Vikander a young Lara Croft who embarks on her first archeological expedition on a mysterious island.

A source reportedly confirmed, “It’s pretty much been locked in… They’ve been in talks for a while to film on the Coast… It’s running behind schedule as they’re still locking in cast and confirming the script but they have chosen Queensland as a filming destination.”

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira previously confirmed that the company was given funding by the state government to produce big films coming in. She said, “The wheels are in motion to keep securing productions.”

However, new reports emerged of Australia losing the opportunity to host the ‘Tomb Raider’ film due to limitations of the nation’s Federal Government tax incentives. According to KFTV, Queensland failed to lock in the next big installment in the action-adventure media franchise since the request for a Location Offset was not secured. The Location Offset is a rebate available to filmmakers that spend more than $15 million on their films.

Screen Queensland said in a statement, “They requested an uplift to the Federal Government’s Location Offset from 16.5 per cent to 30 per cent but were unable to secure a decision in time and had to make the shoot elsewhere… Screen Queensland was advised the lack of uplift to the Location Offset incentive was the key factor.”

The Australian government has been in constant pressure to increase the Location Offset in order to compete with other popular film locations such as UK, South Africa, Fiji, and Canada, which offer 30 per cent in Location Offset. Production for ‘Tomb Raider’ is reportedly moving to South Africa instead.

‘Tomb Raider’ is an upcoming action-adventure and fantasy film intended as the live-action adaptation of the 2013 video game of the same name. It is directed by Roar Uthaug and written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

It is scheduled to premiere in U.S. theaters on March 16, 2018.