Major movies to begin production in New Orleans

Major movies to begin production in New Orleans
February 22, 2010
Chris Miller
WWL.com

Movie production in New Orleans is about to pick up, now that the inconveniences of Mardi Gras are out of the way. Although the parades, costumes and music can provide a great backdrop for some productions, the traffic re-routes and parking restrictions aren't good for some productions.

"We see pictures that aren't necessarily set here come film here," said Louisiana Film Office Director Chris Stelly. "Our diverse locations, our deep crew base and a variety of other things make it where you an come to Louisiana and not necessarily have a film that's set in Louisiana."

That includes a special-effects laden super hero flick that begins shooting in New Orleans next March. "The Green Lantern," based on the DC Comics hero, is sure to feature a lot of visual effects. That's a part of the show business that Stelly would like to see grow locally.

"One of the biggest things that we're trying to do right now is to attract the special effects companies and the post-production side of things, and it's growing," said Stelly.

Warner Bros. has "The Green Lantern" scheduled for the summer of 2011.

Also about to begin filming in New Orleans is "Red," based on a graphic novel about a former CIA agent targeted for assassination. That film boasts a cast of stars including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Ernest Borgnine, Bryan Cox, Richard Dreyfuss and Helen Mirren.