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Published On: Fri, Apr 15th, 2011

Cleveland preps for ‘The Avengers’ while ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ heads to Pittsburgh

 

The city of Cleveland is buzzing with anticipation of “The Avengers” filming in the city later this summer. The list of locations was released yesterday which are under considerations for the Marvel blockbuster.

The Cleveland Museum of Art or The Cleveland Museum of Natural History,  Cleveland Airport, and the [Glenn] NASA Research Center all sit at the top of the list of locations.

The Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) had a large part in bringing to project to Cleveland. According to the GCFC website, “Marvel Studios is bringing The Avengers to Ohio for two reasons: the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit and the efforts of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.”

“We look forward to collaborating with the Film Commission and working in the great state of Ohio,” said Louis D’Esposito, Co-President, Marvel Studios.

Gov. John Kasich recently announced that the Marvel/Disney film version of the comic would be filmed in Cleveland, bringing Robert Downey, Jr. to reprise his role as Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow.

This A-list cast is projected to begin filming this fall. Industry producer Scott de las Casas of Los Angeles said of the filming, “This is going to bring a quick boost to the Cleveland economy, even if only for a limited time. They need a bunch of skilled workers, who will bring in a lot of necessary things for the movie, and then it’ll be gone. But it’s a great tax incentive during these economic times.”

Wayne Hill, chairman of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, called this “the largest film ever shot in Ohio.”

The movie was set to be shot in Detroit but Michigan’s governor planned to eliminate tax credits. The picture will get tax advantages for shooting in Ohio.

“I’m thrilled we’re are going to have this here. I’m just bucking for a part as Governator 2,” Kasich said.

Meanwhile, “The Dark Knight Rises” production gets going in July. Director Christopher Nolan this last week that they will be filming primarily in Pittsburgh.

“Pittsburgh is a beautiful city,” Nolan said in a statement. “We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman.”

Christopher-Nolan on set with camera1Cameras will roll for four to six weeks in the city as Warner Bros. and producers take advantage of Pennsylvania’s generous tax credits. Aside from location shooting in Pittsburgh, “Dark Knight Rises” is also scheduled to return to its old haunt of Chicago, which doubled for Gotham in 2008’s The Dark Knight, as well as Romania and England.

Nolan met with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl who made this statement:

“We are thrilled to be welcoming the Batman film to Pittsburgh, and eager for the economic impact that our city will experience,” the mayor said in a statement. “This is another example of the growing film industry in our community, and we will be rolling out the red carpet for them.”

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, said the Warner Bros. production could be here for four to six weeks shooting in downtown and nearby.

“They’re still nailing down actual locations, but what they really fell in love with was the diversity of architecture and the gorgeous buildings that we still have in downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas,” she said.

“I think it’s the most high-profile project we’ve seen. I think it’s as a direct result of the success we’ve had with the film tax-credit program that Pittsburgh is on the map and Southwestern Pennsylvania is considered now for every major production, which is great because it’s all about jobs and money,” she said.

“We’ve been thrilled with all the work we’ve had in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but Batman’s a known franchise. People know what Batman’s about and we’re thrilled that they have chosen Pittsburgh.”

 

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About the Author

- Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites. Appearing on several radio shows, Brandon has hosted Dispatch Radio, written his first novel (The Rise of the Templar) and completed the three years Global University program in Ministerial Studies to be a pastor. To Contact Brandon email [email protected] ATTN: BRANDON

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