Detroit Bankruptcy Won’t Impact ‘Transformers 4,’ AMC’s ‘Low Winter Sun’

Television and film productions will not be effected by the city's financial problems

Detroit's bankruptcy filing last week will have no impact on film and television productions shooting in the Motor City, officials and studio spokespeople told TheWrap.

Paramount's "Transformers 4" and AMC's upcoming crime drama "Low Winter Sun" are still filming in the city, and production is continuing without any delays, the companies said. Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, "How to Catch a Monster," recently wrapped filming in the city, so it will likewise be unencumbered by the city's financial woes.

As for Michigan's $50 million tax incentive program, that is operated by the state, officials say, so the cash rebates will not be jeopardized.

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"The state is a separate entity from the city of Detroit, and the state will honor any agreements made," Karla Murray, national manager for Film Detroit, a division of the city's convention and visitors bureau, told TheWrap. "During the bankruptcy, the police, the fire department, the streetlights will all have more money allocated to keep them running, so none of that will be affected."

In addition, lawmakers allocated an additional $50 million in incentives for the film program for the fiscal year beginning in October, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said.

Murray said more than 10 films, including "Only Lovers Left Alive," a vampire romance from Jim Jarmusch, and "Need for Speed" a videogame adaptation starring Aaron Paul, have shot in the city during the past fiscal year. She said she expects another major studio film will shoot in Detroit by the end of the year in addition to several independent productions.

"The city is very open to working with people, and there’s a lot of flexibility in Detroit that you don't get in a city like Chicago or New York," Murray said. "Don't forget there's a backdrop of all this great architecture. There's a lot of cultural influences here and a lot of creative people, so it's a great place to film."

 

 

 

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