HBO drama The Leftovers is set to film its third and final season at the Docklands Studio in Melbourne.

In April it was rumoured the Warner Bros. production would relocate to Australia -both on and off the screen- following recent references to Perth.

The announcement was made jointly by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and HBO’s Senior Vice President of West Coast Production Jay Roewe at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles. HBO previously filmed The Pacific in Victoria while Warner Bros. produced feature film Where the Wild Things Are.

Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, based on Perrotta’s best-selling novel of the same name, The Leftovers explores a world in shock and the lives that are changed forever, when 140 million people inexplicably vanish. The first two seasons featured Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Regina King and Ann Dowd.

Premier Daniel Andrews was buoyed by the project creating more than 250 local jobs and injecting around $20 million into the economy.

“When Hollywood heavyweights HBO and Warner Bros. need a spectacular location down under, of course they choose to shoot in Victoria,” he said.

“From Hollywood to Hanging Rock, this brilliant production won’t just attract some of tinsletown’s biggest stars, but create local jobs and inject millions into the Victorian economy.”

Film Victoria CEO Jenni Tosi said, “We’re delighted to again be working with Warner Bros. and HBO and we welcome The Leftovers production team to Melbourne.”

“In choosing Victoria for this impressive series, The Leftovers will reinforce our reputation for expertise, diversity and crew creativity – and see fantastic benefits flow through our world-class facilities and businesses.”

Co-Creator and Showrunner Damon Lindelof said, “We’re immensely grateful for the opportunity to try something that looks and feels different from the preceding seasons and we absolutely cannot wait to bring our story to its conclusion down under.”

Filming will begin this month three months with some post-production and visual effects work to also be completed in Victoria.

Meanwhile Docklands Studio has announced economist and strategy expert David Hanna as the new Chair of the Board.

Currently the Director of Business Strategy at Monash University, he has more than 30 years’ experience in the public sector in Victoria and Canberra. He has been a longstanding committee member for Film Victoria’s Production Incentive Attraction Fund and is also a member of the Course Advisory Committee for the VCA’s School of Film and Television.

Hanna will take over the role from former senior executive Elizabeth Eldridge, who has served as Chair since the Victorian Government took ownership of the studios in 2008.

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