New TV series Tyrant will film on location in Tel Aviv and comes from the producers of terrorism drama Homeland. The series will focus on the son of a Middle-Eastern dictator who becomes embroiled in regional politics when he returns home with his US family after years in exile.
[slideshow id=383]Business is booming for television production and countries around the world are clamouring for a piece of the action. High-end television shows with movie-scale production values are commanding large audiences, but what impact does this have on local industries and is it a long-term trend?
North Carolina’s production industry has reiterated the importance of the state’s generous filming incentives. The 25% refundable tax credit has attracted productions like the Stephen King miniseries Under the Dome, but the incentive is set to expire at the end of 2014.
A new TV show called Dig is set to become the first US series to film entirely on location in Israel. The show will be a murder mystery set at an Israeli archaeological dig and is based on an idea originally developed by Israeli company the Keshet Media Group.
Domestic terrorism drama Homeland has been greenlit for a fourth season and will continue filming on location in North Carolina. The state doubles for Washington, DC, in the show that was first attracted to the region partly by the 25% refundable filming tax credit.
North Carolina’s production industry is fighting to have the state’s filming incentive programme extended beyond the end of 2014. The region is a thriving production hub, but conservative politicians are spearheading a move to direct the incentive funds to other parts of the economy.
New pirate TV drama Crossbones will film on location in Puerto Rico in the north-eastern Caribbean. The NBC production will star John Malkovich as infamous 18th Century pirate Blackbeard and will spend millions locally.
Five popular TV series set to dominate this weekend’s Emmy awards have Washington DC settings but were all filmed elsewhere in the US. Washington does not have a reputation as a particularly film-friendly city due to the lack of a filming incentive and obvious security concerns.