With a script, a snake and a sense of adventure, Sony Pictures’ Anaconda sunk its teeth into all that Queensland provides as a production paradise.
From dense rainforests, winding river systems and cascading waterfalls hidden just beyond the road, the production found everything it needed to build a richly textured Amazonian world with the sunshine state’s renowned crew base.
Directed by Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) and starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, Anaconda follows two friends whose attempt to remake the classic ‘90s film quickly turns to chaos as the production spirals into something far more dangerous.
South East Queensland locations doubled seamlessly for the Brazilian Amazon, allowing the team to spend less time building worlds and more time capturing them.
“Queensland was exactly what the production was searching for. The Amazon feel and the jungle is what we needed and Queensland delivered beautifully.”
Andrew Form, Producer
GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND
Much of the production was based on the Gold Coast, where the ancient rainforest hinterlands sit close to the coastline, and even closer to crews, services and an international airport which receives direct flights from Los Angeles, Vancouver and San Francisco.
Key locations included Hinze Dam and surrounding creek systems, alongside the nearby Tallebudgera Valley, all within 30 minutes of the Gold Coast’s best accommodation and dining destinations. These stunning areas delivered dense subtropical vegetation, winding waterways and wide vistas, enabling the production to achieve a ‘deep jungle’ look while keeping logistics tight and efficient.
TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN
Tamborine Mountain brought a different kind of environment to the production, offering a cool, elevated plateau around 500 metres above sea level.
Steep escarpments, basalt cliffs and deep gorges anchored key scenes in real terrain, while the area’s tall tree canopy framed wide shots and helped create tension and atmosphere. With jungle tracks and rugged landscapes doing the heavy lifting, the location delivered the sense of scale needed for this high-energy reimagining of the cult classic.
PURLING BROOK FALLS
Additional scenes were captured at Purling Brook Falls in Springbrook National Park, where towering cascades and steep terrain reinforced the illusion of a remote and dangerous jungle environment.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service manages these protected locations, supporting responsible screen production while preserving the natural landscape.
COOMBABAH LAKELANDS
Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area with its open waterways and shifting terrain provided visual contrast and scale for scenes driven by uncertainty and exposure.
The location highlights the value of close collaboration between productions and local land managers when working in environmentally sensitive areas.
“Filming in Queensland has been amazing. You have the best crews and the best locations. I couldn’t have asked for more. It has been a wonderful experience every single day of making this movie.”
Andrew Form, Producer
Sony Pictures’ Anaconda coiled perfectly into place, supported through the Production Attraction Strategy alongside the Australian Government’s Location Offset and the City of Gold Coast’s Screen Attraction Program. The production generated significant economic benefits, employing local cast and crew and the global box office success has helped reinforce Queensland’s position as a sought-after international production destination.
“With the backing of state and federal incentives, combined with the versatility of our stunning natural environments featuring rainforests in easy reach, Queensland has become a premier destination for high calibre location-based productions like Anaconda.”
Jacqui Feeney, CEO, Screen Queensland
Anaconda is screening in cinemas globally. Watch the trailer here:
Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy offers incentives for productions spending a minimum of AU$3.5 million in the state. The production received additional support through Screen Queensland’s Post, Digital, Visual Effects Incentive, which is available to projects spending a minimum AU$250,000 on qualifying PDV.
The agency also offers location and scouting assistance and operates Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane and Cairns. For more information about Screen Queensland’s incentives, location services and Queensland-based post-production facilities, contact:
