Tom Avison managed studio production of Wicked, Jurassic World: Rebirth. Now he’s Perth Film Studios first CEO

An Englishman who oversaw studio production of the box office smash Wicked and the soon-to-be-released Jurassic World: Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson, has been hired as first CEO of the WA Government’s $233.5 million film studio. Perth Film Studios operator Home Fire announced the appointment today of Tom Avison, who was plucked from his current job as Director of Operations at London’s Sky Studios Elstree after a global recruiting search. The Home Fire consortium, which includes prominent WA developer Adrian Fini and marketing guru and Little Creatures co-founder Howard Cearns, sifted through Australian and international candidates in association with the State Government’s Arts and Culture Trust and specialist recruiting consultants, Entertainment Personnel Australia. Mr Cearns described Mr Avison as a “proven leader in the screen industry, with nearly 20 years of experience across the sector”. “Importantly for Perth Film Studios, Tom was the first operational hire at Sky Studios Elstree, employed to lead the delivery of operational excellence, driving recruitment, process and systems development and the creation of a dynamic, collaborative culture across the facility,” Mr Cearns said. Sky Studios Elstree is the UK’s newest screen production facility, and, after opening its final sound stage in 2023, is hoping to host nearly $6 billion of production investment in its first five years of operation. Home Fire views Mr Avison’s experience bringing it online as invaluable to what the consortium hopes to do at the Malaga studio, which is due to welcome its first production next year. As for exactly what that production might be, it’s expected there should be some indication by late this year or early next, and Mr Cearns said there was already “considerable” interest from producers, studios and the big streaming platforms. However, Perth Film Studios will likely look for a more modest maiden project than Sky Studios Elstree, which opened operations with director Jon M. Chu’s immense adaptation of the Wicked musical, with an estimated budget in excess of $230 million. “To successfully host the production of Wicked and Wicked: For Good as its opening client, followed by a significant number of productions from NBCU and other major US Studios and streamers, across multiple stages, highlights Tom’s expertise, experience, and reputation,” Mr Cearns said. Screenwest CEO Rikki Lea Bestall said the appointment of Mr Avison was a “fantastic choice to launch Perth Film Studios”. Additionally, Home Fire has appointed experienced producer James Grandison as its business and industry development director, having previously engaged him in a consulting capacity. Mr Grandison’s screen credits include The Surfer with Nicolas Cage, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Mystery Road: Origin, Blueback and Sweet As. Beyond management of the facility, the success of the new studio will depend on generous incentives, which are a way state, federal and foreign governments compete to secure a slice of the multi-billion-dollar screen production pie. Last year the Cook Government invested an additional $13.2 million in the WA screen sector over four years in the hopes of continuing the production boom that has already attracted Hollywood superstars such as Cage and Star Wars hero Daisy Ridley to the State. The new funding in the 2024/25 Budget was on top of the $18.7 million the Government previously announced to lure big productions to WA. Mr Avison watched Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba defy gravity, now it will be his job to defy Perth’s geography and a competitive screen sector to ensure a pipeline of productions that justifies the government’s investment.