Chris Hemsworth has proved himself as the god of thunder and is now gunning for the title of Saviour of Down Under (well, of Australia’s film industry, at least).

The Thor  star has reportedly signed a four-film deal with Netflix, and is gunning for them to be made in Australia.

Hemsworth will star in sci-fi mind-bender Spiderhead – and it’s rumoured to be shooting in Queensland in coming months.

If true, it’ll be a tight turnaround for the actor.

The fourth instalment in the Thor movie series is also about to start filming in Hemsworth’s home state of New South Wales.

Co-star Natalie Portman was spotted arriving in the country about three weeks ago.

(Although Queensland’s enviable coronavirus position is fuelling rumours the production will migrate north.)

• Related: Hollywood stars set up homes in Byron Bay

As well as his widely popular cameo as a TV weather presenter, it seems Hemsworth really is flying the flag for movie making in Australia.

Not just because he loves his home country – there are some vaguely selfish reasons, too.

“Being able to stay at home and put the kids to bed in their own home as opposed to dragging them across the globe to various hotels is, as a parent, hugely important,” The Daily Telegraph reported Hemsworth saying.

“My wife’s certainly happy.”

Of the remaining films on his newly inked deal, two are believed to be sequels to Extraction, Netflix’s most-watched production feature to date.

Not-so-nice Hemsworth

Hemsworth joins a pretty impressive crew in the production of Spiderhead, which is based on a short story published in The New Yorker a decade ago, written by George Saunders.

Directing the flick is Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and he’ll line up alongside Jurnee Smollett (Birds of Prey) and Miles Teller (Whiplash).

The plot line is definitely out there – set in the “not-too-distant future”, Deadline reports, we follow two convicts who submit to medical tests in exchange for a shorter prison sentence.

Predictably, the tests have some ill effects.

The paper reports Hemsworth will play Abnesti, who’s in charge of the testing regime. So perhaps he won’t necessarily be the hero we’ve come to expect on screen.

Moment in the sun

Australia is experiencing a mini surge in hosting Hollywood film crews.

Baz Luhrmann began filming on his Elvis rendition – starring Tom Hanks – in Queensland last week.

On the silver screen, Nicole Kidman’s Nine Perfect Strangers is under way at Byron Bay.

In July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a $400 million package designed to tempt international film crews to Australia, in a bid to stimulate the industry.

The package is said to have brought three US TV shows production to Brisbane, including a scripted show based on Tiger King Joe Exotic.