Written by new-contact on Aug 18, 2011. Posted in Production News

The Avengers and Dark Knight Rises film Cleveland and Pittsburgh

It’s a summer of superheroes in several US cities as the major studios’ 2012 release slates shape up. The Dark Knight Rises has been filming fight sequences and scenes involving the so-called Batwing in Pittsburgh, while Marvel has been wreaking havoc in Cleveland, Ohio, for The Avengers.

This is shaping up to be, far and away, the busiest summer for movie production in Cleveland history.

Ivan Schwarz, Greater Cleveland Film Commission

Pittsburgh is doubling for Gotham City for the first time since Christopher Nolan took over the franchise and the action sequences have been hard to miss due to the scale involved and the extent of the street closures. Meanwhile The Avengers has been doubling Cleveland for New York City, re-creating Madison Avenue and sporting eye-catching pyrotechnics, as well as appearances from Captain America.

Ivan Schwarz, Executive Director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, said recently: “This is shaping up to be, far and away, the busiest summer for movie production in Cleveland history. The entire community – including our public partners, local cast and crew, and film vendors – has rallied around this industry. These films will continue to create jobs and economic benefits for the Cleveland region, while building a strong and sustainable media industry.”

In a high-profile loss for Pennsylvania, Brad Pitt’s zombie thriller World War Z is currently filming in Glasgow, doubling the city for Philadelphia.

The Dark Knight Rises has already filmed in countries including India, England and Scotland, building on Nolan’s reputation for globe-trotting shooting schedules. Captain America’s first solo film outing was filmed mainly in the UK last year, with Manchester and Liverpool doubling for a 1940s New York City. The Avengers has mainly been based in New Mexico.

In a high-profile loss for Pennsylvania, Brad Pitt’s zombie thriller World War Z is currently filming in Glasgow, doubling the city for Philadelphia. It’s thought that uncertainties about the future of Philadelphia’s incentive scheme during the film’s scouting phase convinced the production to pick the UK instead.