Fox Studios Australia

Fox Studios Australia

Industry	Film
Founded	May 1988 (1988-05)
Headquarters	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parent	News Corporation
Website	www.foxstudiosaustralia.com

The Entertainment Quarter, Fox Studios

Fox Studios Australia is a major movie studio located in Sydney, Australia, occupying the site of the former Sydney Showground at Moore Park. The studio is owned by News Corporation and was opened in May 1998. It is one of the two film studios in Australia, the other being Village Roadshow Studios.

The studio has been involved in the production of a number of blockbusters, including The Matrix, Moulin Rouge!, Mission: Impossible II, Star Wars Episode II, Star Wars Episode III and Superman Returns.

Features

Located ten minutes from the Sydney city centre, the 132,000 square metre (32 acre) site includes eight stages, production offices and heavy industrial workshops, and a community of over 60 independent businesses. These businesses provide services such as equipment hire, travel and freight, casting, postproduction, and explosives/pyrotechnic factory, adjoining residential properties.

Backlot Theme Park

Fox Studios Backlot was a theme park that was purportedly based on Universal Studios in Los Angeles and Orlando as well as Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was closed at the end of 2001, the official reasons cited were the subsequent drop in domestic tourism caused by the collapse of Australian airline Ansett and the effect of the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States in terms of international tourism.

An adjacent precinct provides restaurants and cafes, a retail complex, parklands, entertainment venues, and sporting facilities. The adjacent precinct was previously known as simply 'Fox Studios Entertainment Precinct', however has since been renamed 'The Entertainment Quarter' or EQ. When this area opened it was originally called 'Bent Street' and among its original tenants were Esprit, Sony Style, Hoyts, Sanity and Dymocks.

Ownership

Fox Studios Australia is owned by the media conglomerate News Corporation, under the terms of a 99-year lease from the New South Wales State Government.

The decision by the Carr Government in 1995 to allow News Corporation to take over the site was controversial and attracted criticism from sections of the media such as The Sydney Morning Herald and independent MP Clover Moore. It was alleged that a secret deal took place between the NSW Government and the owner of News Corporation, Mr Rupert Murdoch involving the donation of $25 million in taxpayers money for the new site

Films

The studio has been involved in a number of movies including:

• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie - 1994-1995
• Dark City - 1996-1997
• Babe: Pig in the City - 1998
• The Matrix - 1998
• Farscape – Series 1 - 1999 (TV)
• Mission: Impossible II - 1999
• Holy Smoke - 1999
• Moulin Rouge! - 1999-2000
• La Spagnola - 2000
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - 2000
• Kangaroo Jack - 2001
• The Quiet American - 2001
• The Matrix Reloaded - 2001-2002
• The Matrix Revolutions - 2001-2002
• The Night We Called It a Day - 2002
• BDA Sydney- 2003–present
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - 2003-2005
• Son of the Mask - 2004
• Stealth - 2004
• The Mystery of Natalie Wood - 2004
• Superman Returns - 2005
• Australian Idol - 2007-2009
• Australia - 2008
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 2009
• Accidents Happen - 2009
• Tomorrow When the War Began - 2009
• Hi-5
• The Barefoot Rugby League Show - 2010–present
• The X Factor Australia - 2010-present
• Minute To Win It Australia - 2010–present
• Happy Feet 2 - 2011
• A Few Best Men - 2011
• Goddess - 2011
• The Great Gatsby - 2011
• Paradise Lost - 2012

External links

• Fox Studios Australia
• The Entertainment Quarter