Star Trek Beyond begins filming in Dubai

Cast and crew from the Hollywood film Star Trek Beyond have arrived in Dubai as filming for the movie begins in the emirate from Thursday.

The movie, the third installment of the popular sci-fi Star Trek franchise, will film in Dubai for 13 days at the Sound Stages in Dubai Studio City and other indoor and outdoor locations.

Directed and produced by Justin Lin, it stars Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba. It is slated for release in July 2016.

Executive producer Jeffrey Chernov said: “Dubai represents the future of what the frontier would be like in our film, and is an excellent place to shoot the movie as well as a special opportunity for all of us. This is not just the third of three movies, but has a new, refreshing twist, and Dubai’s great visuals really fit the story.”

He added: “Mission Impossible Four showed how movies can help tourism, and help cities grow and develop, which in turn helps filmmakers. We want to help future filmmakers and emerging talent, and we have interns working across every department of the movie.”

According to Chernov around 200 to 225 extras from Dubai will be featured in the film.

A number of entities including the Dubai Film and TV Commission, the Dubai Media Office, Dubai Tourism and Commerce and Marketing and the Dubai International Film Festival will provide all the necessary support to facilitate the filming, officials said.

Chairman of DFTC Jamal Al Sharif, said: “During the scouting, the film crew was impressed by Dubai’s diverse attractions and locations that include skyscrapers, beaches, desert and more.

“There are many factors about the emirate that are truly unique and attractive to international productions, including the excellent connectivity and cutting-edge infrastructure, as well as the ease of filming.”

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are striving to position themselves as film production hubs and are seeking to attract international filmmakers by easing regulations and procedures.

The Abu Dhabi Film Commission offers first international projects a 30 per cent cash-back rebate on productions, including feature films, TV shows, commercials and music videos.

This rebate also applies to airfares booked on Etihad Airways and accommodation.

Thanks to these efforts the two cities have attracted top Hollywood and Bollywood productions over the last few years including Fast & Furious 7, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Bang Bang, Baby!, Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol, Syriana, Wall Street- Money Never Sleeps, Happy New Year and Deliver Us from Evil.