Melbourne’s screen industry has entered a new era with the opening of the city’s first super-sized sound stage.

At 3,700 sqm (40,000 sqft), Stage 6 at Docklands Studios Melbourne is one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and enables the city to host bigger productions than ever before.

Stage 6 (Photo Peter Glenane)

The first production to shoot in Stage 6 will be the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man directed and co-written by Victorian Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman).

The Stage 6 development includes a 900,000 litre (240,000 gallon) 4.5 metre (15 feet) deep water tank for underwater scenes; full soundproofing; two equipment hoists, each with a load of 500Kg; dressing and audition rooms; a three-storey annex with production offices plus refurbishment of the studio’s mess halls.

CGI profile of water pit in Stage 6 (Image Grimshaw Architects)

International and Australian producers have recently been lining up to film at Docklands Studios Melbourne and the new sound stage will expand total stage capacity by more than 60 per cent.

The AUD$46 million expansion of the Victorian Government-owned facility is a key pillar of the state’s screen strategy, adding to a generous incentive scheme managed by the state’s creative and economic screen development agency VicScreen.

The gantry in Stage 6 is 17 metres high (Photo Peter Glenane)

Complementing the State’s strong support of the industry comes a large pool of world-class production crew, creative and technology businesses and a range of film-friendly locations close to Melbourne.

In the last two years, Docklands Studios Melbourne has hosted the homegrown Netflix thriller Clickbait, Paramount Television’s Shantaram and the first instalment of NBC’s hit drama La Brea.

Production offices in Stage 6 annex (Photo Peter Glenane)

The studio’s 2022 slate includes the second season of La Brea and sci-fi thriller Foe, produced by AC Studios, I Am That and See-Saw Films for Prime Video.

Docklands Studios Melbourne opened in 2004 just five minutes from central Melbourne – the sporting, food and cultural capital of Australia. It has five existing stages ranging from 743 to 2,323sqm (8,000 to 25,000sqft).

Aerial of Stage 6 (Photo Peter Glenane)

Incoming CEO Antony Tulloch takes the keys from long-time CEO Rod Allan and previously headed the largest purpose-built filming facility in South East Asia, Iskandar Malaysia Studios.

CEO of Docklands Studios Melbourne Antony Tulloch says, “I am excited to be taking over the running of Docklands Studios Melbourne at a watershed moment for the screen industry in Victoria.

“The studio already has a reputation for supporting productions every step along the way, and I look forward to building on its profile in the global market.”