Filming for the new Empire City thriller will unfold across Melbourne neighborhoods and Docklands Studios, leveraging Victoria’s deep talent pool and infrastructure to support large-scale production.

The movie stars Gerard Butler as Rhett, a firefighter, opposite Hayley Atwell as his police wife Dani in a contemporary kidnap thriller with echoes of Die Hard.

VicScreen helped attract the project, noting the broader economic impact of Victoria’s film shoots and its history of successful productions like How to Train Your Dragon.

The production benefits from the Victorian Screen Rebate and the Australian Government Location Offset, reinforcing Victoria’s status as a global screen destination.

Cast includes Gerard Butler and Hayley Atwell, with a production team featuring Marc Butan, Alan Siegel, and director Michael Matthews; screenplay by Brian Tucker and S. Craig Zahler.

Melbourne will host filming for Empire City, a high-energy action thriller set in New York, with production kicking off this month at Docklands Studios Melbourne.

Victoria officially announced Empire City, detailing filming across Melbourne and at Docklands Studios Melbourne as part of the project’s rollout.

Empire City is expected to create about 350 crew roles and 860 cast/extra positions, engage around 600 local businesses, and contribute more than $35 million to Victoria’s economy.

The project continues Victoria’s streak of attracting international productions, following recent shoots like Insidious 6 and The Mongoose.

MadRiver Pictures chief executive Marc Butan and director Michael Matthews selected Melbourne for its creative, financial, and logistical fit, including facilities and depth of local talent.

The production is backed by the Allan Labor Government and led by local producer Paul Currie, with shoots spanning Melbourne and studio facilities.

Victoria’s incentives, including the VicScreen rebate and the federal Location Offset, were pivotal in securing the project.