Set in the Keys, filmed in Australia

[DevR]

Hi. I'm more of a thread reader than poster, but I am curious about something, and thought that someone here might know the answer.

It seems as though a lot of shows and movies set in the Keys are filmed in Australia; Fool's Gold, the early 1990s Flipper, etc. Any idea why? Maybe tax incentives, more reliable water clarity, or prettier above water scenery?

Thanks.

 

[tridacna]

Hi. I'm more of a thread reader than poster, but I am curious about something, and thought that someone here might know the answer.

It seems as though a lot of shows and movies set in the Keys are filmed in Australia; Fool's Gold, the early 1990s Flipper, etc. Any idea why? Maybe tax incentives, more reliable water clarity, or prettier above water scenery?

Thanks.

All of the above plus prettier below the water scenery too.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Hi. I'm more of a thread reader than poster, but I am curious about something, and thought that someone here might know the answer.

It seems as though a lot of shows and movies set in the Keys are filmed in Australia; Fool's Gold, the early 1990s Flipper, etc. Any idea why? Maybe tax incentives, more reliable water clarity, or prettier above water scenery?

Thanks.

I hadn't heard of Fool's Gold, but when I looked it up I found Wikipedia included this explanation: "Warner Bros. and director Andy Tennant planned to shoot the film in the Caribbean, but decided on Queensland, Australia because the hurricane season in the Caribbean was likely to stall production of the film."

 

[DevR]

Ah, hurricanes. Makes sense.

 

[Brewingfisherman]

Flipper was filmed in Florida. A place called jimbos.

 

[Brian Waingrow]

There was a Netflix series called Bloodline that was set in the Keys. Not sure if it was shot there though. Also, I believe there used to be a Discovery Channel reality show a few years back called Shipwreck men that was set and shot in the Keys.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Fool's Gold was possibly the worst movie ever made. We were in Port Douglas when it was being made (just back from a week long liveaboard trip to Osprey Reef) and saw its stars (Donald Sutherland, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson) many times, including one morning when they all came back from a recreation dive. All the movies benefited from favourable government subsidies/tax rates and also the exchange rate at the time was also very favourable.

 

[drbill]

Y'all remember a small little film about a great white shark. I think it was called "Jaws." Ever wonder why there was giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in the waters off New England? I didn't because those scenes were filmed about two miles from my marine biology lab on Catalina Island back in the 1970s.

 

[DevR]

Thanks for your replies. I didn't mean to accidentally endorse Fool's Gold, but Kate Hudson...well you know she was wearing a bikini so I'm taking a Mulligan.