Aerodrome a co-star in Neeson action film

HOLLYWOOD royalty could be spotted at the Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome on Wednesday last week.

Action star and Academy Award-nominated actor Liam Neeson was back in the country filming his latest film The Mongoose turning the local airstrip into a star-studded movie set.

Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said the film’s production in Victoria, supported by VicScreen’s Victorian Screen Incentive, is a boost for the state’s movie industry.

“This movie The Mongoose is not just going to be a great action movie that everyone will get to enjoy and also see much Victorian scenery [through],” he said.

“It’s also really important for our economy as part of our VicScreen strategy where we’ve invested over four years $191 million to produce the sort of productions like this one.

“Our VicScreen strategy [is to] also tell our own story. That’s showing the benefit of some $1.4 billion over that four years. That’s an incredible investment and outcome.”

The Mongoose sees Neeson as Ryan “Fang” Flanagan, a war hero who embarks on a cross-country run from the police after being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, assisted by members of his former battalion and an encouraging public.

The production marks Neeson’s third time filming in the country in half a decade, having previously shot here while making 2023’s Ice Road 2: Road to Sky and Blacklight in 2020.

The Mongoose’s production is estimated to be creating more than 450 jobs for the state’s film industry workers and to bring more than $19 million to the Victorian economy, with 150 local businesses to be engaged.

Neeson’s previous productions created 1300 jobs for the state’s film industry and brought in more than $55 million for the Victorian economy.

The Mongoose reunites Neeson with Code Entertainment, which produced Ice Road 2: Road to Sky.

Co-producer Bart Rosenblatt said the talent in Victoria’s film industry is what keeps the company coming back to the region.

“We’re filming here because the crews are great. We have almost the same crew we had on the previous movie we shot here,” he said.

“We came here for that, and we came here for the locations. Last time … we were shooting Victoria for Nepal and India; now we’re shooting in the same sets for Afghanistan and also Texas and Arkansas.

“It’s very dynamic here. It’s very flexible. The Victorian Screen Incentive [is why] we’ve bee able to get here. That’s what brings all these movies to Victoria.”

The three-month production, which saw part of the Calder Freeway closed near Castlemaine earlier this week, is expected to be completed in March.

The Mongoose is scheduled for release late next year.

Member for Eureka Michaela Settle also visited the Bacchus Marsh set and said it is an exciting production for the region to feature in.

The film is also being supported by the Federal Government’s Location Offset program.