Not even a superhero can control the devastating Australian bushfires that are ravaging the nation. Thor: Love and Thunder, the sequel to the 2017 hit Thor: Ragnarok, is expected to film in Australia this summer, but real-life dangers could overrule any fictional drama. Director Taika Waititi told Variety that he’d planned to come to Sydney in April and begin shooting the fourth Thor film in August, but the grim situation with the fires could change things.
“It’s insane what’s happening down there,” said Waititi, a New Zealand native. “It seems to keep getting worse, and a lot of the smoke is now moving across to New Zealand and melting our glaciers.”
Waititi called the fires “absolute chaos,” and noted that it was too soon to know how the filming schedule might change. Some of his friends are trying to help put out the fires, the director said, noting that his home country is also sending firefighters to help its neighbor.
Since September, at least 20 people have died and over 1,500 homes have been destroyed. Bushfires aren’t new to the continent, but this situation has been described as “unprecedented” due to the ferocity and scale.
Australian actor Russell Crowe didn’t attend Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards in California because he was home protecting his family and properties. Crowe won an acting award for his role as Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes in Showtime miniseries The Loudest Voice, and the prepared statement he sent urged listeners to work to fight climate change.
