Written by new-contact on Feb 17, 2012. Posted in On Location

Dubai location filming revenue drops after Mission: Impossible shoot

Dubai made around USD40 million from filming productions throughout 2011, a slight decline from the previous year. The fall is mainly due to the absence of a big-budget film production. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol visited the city for a month in 2010 and spent more than USD30 million.

Nearly 880 film and photography projects shot in the city through the year, but the vast majority were domestic, with fewer than 120 originating from Europe, reports The National. The healthiest growth was in the commercials market, with nearly 50 more projects than in 2010.

Overall, the city’s production figures were far below 2008 levels, which authorities blame on the impact of the global recession. The Burj Khalifa remains one of the top filming locations and Tim Smythe, Chief Executive of Filmworks in Dubai that serviced Mission: Impossible, is hopeful that the city will benefit in the long-term from the film’s international success.

I'm hoping that the release of Mission: Impossible will open doors to more Hollywood films, and Bollywood as well. I think the Burj Khalifa will play a big role in attracting more production. It's an iconic location.

Tim Smythe, Filmworks in Dubai

Smythe spoke to the outlet: "I'm hoping that the release of Mission: Impossible will open doors to more Hollywood films, and Bollywood as well. I think the Burj Khalifa will play a big role in attracting more production. It's an iconic location."

Dubai doesn’t attract many feature films, partly because the United Arab Emirates hasn’t yet launched a formal incentive scheme. What sometimes happens instead is that major productions arrange a one-off deal. Mission: Impossible is rumoured to have been given a confidential cash rebate, alongside the extensive production support it received on the ground from multiple Government agencies in Dubai.

(Main page image copyright: David James/Paramount Pictures)