New filming incentives announced by China as a way of boosting its domestic production industry could also grab the attention of international producers. An annual subsidy worth USD16 million has been set up to support up to ten Chinese movies a year.
A sequel to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise that made Eddie Murphy a star in the 80s will film in Detroit, 20 years after the last entry hit cinemas. The original films followed Murphy’s Detroit cop on assignment in Hollywood, but the new movie will take some of the action back east to Foley’s home city.
A former Warner Bros executive has made a major deal with a Shanghai media conglomerate that could result in more US-China co-productions. Jeff Robinov oversaw Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy for Warner Bros and his new Studio 8 venture has partnered with Fosun International Ltd.
Filmmaker Michael Bay helped secure two active-duty US Navy destroyers for the filming of miniseries The Last Ship. Bay’s first TV production as a producer focuses on a Navy crew struggling to find a cure to a deadly virus that has wiped out most of the world’s population.
A new film studio is being planned for construction in Shanghai through a deal between Beijing Enlight Media and Seven Stars Media. Hengdian World Studios is already established five hours’ drive from Shanghai, offering expansive sets and a replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Filmmaking siblings Andy and Lana Wachowski will film part of their debut TV series in Chicago. Still best known for their iconic Matrix movies, the siblings are working on the sci-fi TV drama Sense8, which will spend six weeks filming at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios this summer.
Filmmaker Michael Bay chose to shoot action movie follow-up Transformers: Age of Extinction partly on location in China to chase a “new experience” as a director. The new movie shot partly in Hong Kong, but also built a Hong Kong set in Detroit for the more complex action scenes.
Michigan has been called on to fund its filming incentive on a long-term basis to build confidence in the programme and attract more shoots like Batman v Superman. A USD50 million film fund has been extended but only for 12 months and after uncertainty as authorities threatened a large cut.