Director Spike Lee could face problems securing filming incentive support for a planned Chicago shoot for his new black-on-black gang movie Chiraq. Authorities are unhappy with the title, which is a word being used in rap lyrics comparing Chicago’s gang violence with war-torn Iraq.
New HBO miniseries Lewis and Clark is in pre-production for a scheduled summer shoot in southern Alberta, Canada, and then later in Vancouver and also Georgia. The second series of the acclaimed TV version of Fargo is among the current high-profile shoots in Alberta.
Italy’s international production profile has been given a lift since its filming incentives were boosted last year. Major projects currently shooting include a big-budget remake of historical epic Ben-Hur, which is the first international movie in years to shoot entirely in Italy.
Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan will be in Croatia this week filming scenes for his new movie Fan. The production will use Croatia’s filming incentives to spend nine days shooting in Dubrovnik, before relocating to London.
New drama series Dig launches in the US tonight. Set in Jerusalem, the production started filming the city for real last summer before renewed violence flared between Israel and Gaza and producers decided to relocate to Croatia, with studio work shot in New Mexico.
The Governor of Massachusetts has proposed cutting his state’s filming incentive to free up funds for other sectors of the economy. Massachusetts has hosted movies like The Fighter and American Hustle, but its 25% filming incentive is one of several in the US facing an uncertain future.
A new movie spinoff from Sylvester Stallone’s iconic Rocky franchise has filmed in Philadelphia, and also doubled the city for Liverpool and California. As a state, Pennsylvania has hosted movies like The Dark Knight Rises and Tom Cruise’s vigilante drama Jack Reacher.
New Mexico is the most popular US filming location for desert landscapes, but an experienced Location Manager has reiterated the importance of its filming incentives. Rebecca ‘Puck’ Stair has worked on movies including Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger and action drama 2 Guns.