The California Film Commission has announced that Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, a Paramount movie titled Island Plaza, and Roland Emmerich’s Midway have been selected as part of the latest round of tax credits, which allocates nearly $68 million to eight independent and studio projects. A total of 92 projects applied for tax credits during the first film allocation period (held June 27 – July 8) for fiscal year-three of California’s expanded Program 2.0.
Marvel Studios Co-President Louis D’Esposito stated, “Our headquarters and postproduction facilities are in California, so it’s very exciting to be able to film ‘Captain Marvel’ here in our home state thanks to this California tax credit. As a result, not only will we be able to streamline our production process for this and other films we’re working on concurrently, but we’ll have more time to spend with our families.”
Captain Marvel and the other big-budget studio projects have production budgets in excess of $75 million, which would have made them ineligible for the state’s first-generation tax credit program.
“With the three we’ve added today, a total of six big-budget films have been lured to California thanks to Program 2.0,” said California Film Commission Executive Director Amy Lemisch. “Such films are a primary target for the tax credit program because they can bring significant jobs and spending to regions across the state.”
Among the other projects selected for the latest round of tax credits are indies Happytime Murders, directed by Brian Henson and starring Melissa McCarthy, and Cheney, starring Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Steve Carell. The projects also include A Christmas Story: The Musical Live!, Bird Box and Peppermint.
Based on data provided with each application, the eight film projects announced today are on track to employ more than 2,600 cast and crew, and generate nearly $385 million in qualified spending (defined as wages to below-the-line workers and payments for equipment/vendors). Four of the eight projects plan to shoot at least partially outside the Los Angeles 30-Mile Zone (as far away as northern California).
“Production companies are rediscovering the diverse locations available across the state,” added Lemisch. “For example, ‘Midway’ plans to film extensively in Alameda County, where the producers can take advantage of the Bay Area’s unique locations, production infrastructure and skilled crews.”
