When the producers of Netflix shark thriller Thrash needed to build a South Carolina coastal town ravaged by flood, they turned to Docklands Studios Melbourne.
For Thrash Executive Producer Scott Lumpkin, it was the ideal choice.
“Shooting Thrash at Docklands Studios Melbourne was an absolute dream. A+ facility, A+ amenities and an A+ local crew. Dream team. Can’t wait to be back!” Lumpkin reflected.
“Docklands Studios Melbourne’s state-of-the-art facilities were the perfect venue for Thrash. In many places I’ve shot, we often have to bring in certain crew and adapt. At Docklands, their team helped us achieve our vision with the best local crew and amenities right there on the lot.”
The production’s biggest challenge was creating a flooded town complete with homes, shops, telegraph poles and streets submerged beneath rising waters.
According to Art Director Jacinta Leong, whose credits include Moulin Rouge!, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Alien: Covenant the project pushed the team into new terrain.
“Constructing the town’s main street and all the individual buildings to show the effect of rising floodwaters brought a whole extra layer,” Leong recalled.
Working with Construction Supervisor Ross Murdoch, Construction 2IC Chris Baker and specialist contractor Event Engineering, the production transformed a studio car park into a purpose-built two-million-litre water tank capable of supporting large-scale set construction.
“It was exciting that Docklands Studios Melbourne was open to us building something like this in what is normally a car park,” says Leong. “They were prepared to work with us and think outside the box of what’s possible.”
Inside Stage 6, the production also utilised the studio’s permanent water pit to film key sequences involving rising floodwaters, including a fully dressed bedroom set built on a custom dunking platform.
For Lumpkin, the combination of filmmaker-friendly facilities and crews in one location was critical.
“From designing, placing and building our 2.2 million litre tank on the backlot to the state-of-the-art studio stage with a pit tank, we were able to get everything we needed right on site. Melbourne magic!”
Thrash is a survival thriller directed by Tommy Wirkola, set in a coastal South Carolina town devastated by a Category 5 hurricane. Floodwaters engulfing streets are swarming with sharks, trapping residents in a fight for survival.
The film is led by Phoebe Dynevor, who stars as Dakota, a heavily pregnant woman caught in the chaos, alongside Whitney Peak and Djimon Hounsou.
Released on Netflix in April 2026, Thrash quickly became a global hit. Within four weeks it amassed 85.7 million views, cementing its status as one of the streamer’s top titles of the year.
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