The Dawn Treader comes to Oz

On Friday, Premier Anna Bligh welcomed director Michael Apted and two of the young stars of the film, Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie) and Will Poulter (Eustace Clarence Scrubb), to the Gold Coast of Australia. The premier commented “This is set to be the largest budget film ever produced in Queensland. It’s a big investment here in the film industry at a time when we need it most. We expect to see the creation of 2,000 jobs because of this production. In December 2010 the filming that’s happening here on the Gold Coast will be on the big screen right around the world – I can’t wait to see it on the big screen and to see the Gold Coast shine.”

Ernie Malik, the film’s publicist and media coordinator took her on a stroll through the set of the magician’s garden. When asked how it felt to be standing in the middle of Narnia, the premier responded: “It’s got a certain magic about it. This garden is simply remarkable and there’s a mystery and magic about it that I think children are going to love.”

But what about the Dawn Treader, herself? Ernie Malik had this to say:

“We’re here because of the infrastructure of the Gold Coast, and they have this water tank that we needed because this is a seafaring story and this is the only tank of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Strangely enough, the Dawn Treader will never set oar in that tank. The ship’s over 100 feet (30 metres) long, it was assembled here then disassembled and trucked to Cleveland Point where we will shoot the exterior scenes in September then come back here and shoot the interior scenes. Through the magic of the movies it will look like it’s out to sea, but the Dawn Treader itself will never touch an ounce of water. This set was done by locals and designed by an American … and it just goes to show that the craftsmanship and the magic exists here.”