ATLANTA — Movies filmed in Georgia have grossed more than $415 million at the box office so far this year, cementing the state’s position as a leading location for filming.
Both “The Blind Side” and “The Crazies” are still in theaters and have grossed a combined total of more than $325 million at the box office. “Why Did I Get Married Too?” was released April 2 and has grossed more than $48.5 million, including a fourth-place finish in last week’s totals. “The Last Song,” filmed mostly on Tybee Island and starring Miley Cyrus, opened March 31 and has grossed $42.4 million. “The Last Song” finished fifth in box office proceeds last week, placing two Georgia-made films in the top five.
At least three high-profile productions filmed in Georgia are slated to hit movie theaters in the next few months, including “The Joneses,” starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny.
“I signed the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act to support of our efforts to recruit film, music and digital entertainment projects to Georgia,” Gov. Sonny Perdue said. “These industries are thriving, growing and employing thousands of Georgians. Georgia’s diverse landscape, from the coasts of Savannah to the mountains of North Georgia, makes our state a prime location for film production.”
Entertainment productions in Georgia have increased 400 percent since the state introduced an aggressive tax-credit package in 2008. More than 100 feature films, television series, specials and pilots have been produced in Georgia since then, helping catapult the state into the top five in the nation for film and TV production in 2009, and landing it in the top spot in the Southeast.
“Our ability to provide a variety of astounding locations, a highly-skilled workforce, significant infrastructure and cutting-edge tax incentives makes Georgia an extremely desirable place to film,” said Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of the Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Georgia offers everything production companies are looking for, which has enabled us to attract projects ranging from TV series like ‘Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Drop Dead Diva’ to feature films such as ‘The Blind Side,’ ‘Zombieland’ and ‘The Joneses.’ We’re excited about the opening of ‘The Last Song’ and look forward to a successful run of all of these Georgia-made movies.”
The Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act provides an income-tax credit of 20 percent to qualified productions and an additional 10 percent tax credit to productions that embed a Georgia promotional logo in the titles or credits, or as product placement within the content of the production. The tax credits may be awarded to not only traditional feature films, television series, commercials and music videos, but also to innovative new industries such as video game development and animation.
Since Georgia increased its competitiveness in mid-2008, the program has generated more than $950 million in direct investment, yielding an overall economic impact of over $1.6 billion to the state.
Both “The Blind Side” and “The Crazies” are still in theaters and have grossed a combined total of more than $325 million at the box office. “Why Did I Get Married Too?” was released April 2 and has grossed more than $48.5 million, including a fourth-place finish in last week’s totals. “The Last Song,” filmed mostly on Tybee Island and starring Miley Cyrus, opened March 31 and has grossed $42.4 million. “The Last Song” finished fifth in box office proceeds last week, placing two Georgia-made films in the top five.
At least three high-profile productions filmed in Georgia are slated to hit movie theaters in the next few months, including “The Joneses,” starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny.
“I signed the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act to support of our efforts to recruit film, music and digital entertainment projects to Georgia,” Gov. Sonny Perdue said. “These industries are thriving, growing and employing thousands of Georgians. Georgia’s diverse landscape, from the coasts of Savannah to the mountains of North Georgia, makes our state a prime location for film production.”
Entertainment productions in Georgia have increased 400 percent since the state introduced an aggressive tax-credit package in 2008. More than 100 feature films, television series, specials and pilots have been produced in Georgia since then, helping catapult the state into the top five in the nation for film and TV production in 2009, and landing it in the top spot in the Southeast.
“Our ability to provide a variety of astounding locations, a highly-skilled workforce, significant infrastructure and cutting-edge tax incentives makes Georgia an extremely desirable place to film,” said Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of the Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Georgia offers everything production companies are looking for, which has enabled us to attract projects ranging from TV series like ‘Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Drop Dead Diva’ to feature films such as ‘The Blind Side,’ ‘Zombieland’ and ‘The Joneses.’ We’re excited about the opening of ‘The Last Song’ and look forward to a successful run of all of these Georgia-made movies.”
The Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act provides an income-tax credit of 20 percent to qualified productions and an additional 10 percent tax credit to productions that embed a Georgia promotional logo in the titles or credits, or as product placement within the content of the production. The tax credits may be awarded to not only traditional feature films, television series, commercials and music videos, but also to innovative new industries such as video game development and animation.
Since Georgia increased its competitiveness in mid-2008, the program has generated more than $950 million in direct investment, yielding an overall economic impact of over $1.6 billion to the state.