Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | U | Utah Business

Making the cut: new film incentives mean more leading roles for Utah.

Article Excerpt
The landscape is arid. The air parched. Our hero, faltering. John Carter is struggling to survive, making his way toward the West's promise of gold after the Civil War. Suddenly, he's transported to an alien world where even more harrowing adventures await--he's on Mars. Well actually, it's Utah.

Last June, Disney Pixar announced the production team behind the long-anticipated film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter from Mars" will shoot the big budget sci-fi film in Utah from November 2009 to July 2010. Since the production could spend more than $27 million in Utah and employ nearly 400 locals, it represents the realization of many local leaders' goal to make Utah a major center for film and television production, after Los Angeles and New York. It's also welcome news for the Utah Film Commission, the Motion Picture Association of Utah and local leaders who have worked to make the stale more attractive to Hollywood.

Despite (he excitement, Utah's film industry has been hit hard by the slowing economy. According to Marshall Moore, director of the Utah Film Commission, the film industry's economic impact on the state decreased from $56 million to $12.3 million during the state's fiscal year that ended June 30, 2009. But despite the slowdown, Utah's film leaders remain excited about the Beehive State's growing role on the big screen. And with commitments from major films like "John Carter from Mars," it's clear that Utah is an up-and-coming star.

The Big Picture

Though everyone likes to see their hometown on the silver screen, it's not bragging rights that the state is after when luring film productions to Utah. Films like "High School Musical 3," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and the recent "Star Trek," all filmed in Utah, already show off the state's one-of-a-kind landscape. Local film leaders believe that film and television will become a serious economic boon to the state.

Governor Jon Huntsman has been a strong advocate for bringing more productions to Utah and supported the Utah Film Commission and others' efforts toward doing that. "Most people think of film, and they think of stars and lights and...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!