Jozi features spectacularly in new Avengers movie
JOBURG - As excited South Africans gear up for the upcoming Avengers: Age of the Ultron, fans of the franchise were given a glimpse of the movie which was premiered on African shores for the first time on 22 April.
A portion of the blockbuster movie was shot in Johannesburg last year, with Christine Service of Walt Disney Africa explaining that shooting it there fell in line with the director’s wish to film it less in a studio and more on location.
“The directors scouted a variety of locations and settled on Johannesburg, among others, because of the City’s architecture and its earthiness,” said Service, the senior vice president: country manager.
Service added that filming in the City also had to do with wanting to bring exposure to a city which had never been used as a location for an international movie.
Indeed Andile Mbeki, chief executive officer at the Gauteng Film Commission, echoed this and added that filming in the city gave exposure to the city itself, its talent and landscape.
He added that the mandate of the commission, along with other film bodies, was to promote the country’s film industry as a prime location for big budget movies.
“It also adds to the country’s movie credentials, showing that the country has the capacity and facilities to produce movies of this scale,” he explained.
Mbeki also stressed the exposure for local talent to bigger industries and the opportunities for tourism for the province.
Also present was Laura Vercueil, public relations and communications manager at the Joburg Tourism Company, who expressed joy at having the opportunity to showcase the City as a prime tourism destination.
“Through this movie, the City will be exposed in an entirely different light than it would be typically seen and that will do wonders for its image,” she said.
Service concluded that South Africans can expect to be blown away by the upcoming movie and thanked the country for their involvement. The pre-release interview session took place in Illovo on 21 April, ahead of the premiere.
Avengers: Age of the Ultron premiers on 22 April at Montecasino, with the release taking place on 24 April nationwide.
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