Skip to main content

Russo Bros Wanted to Shoot 'Infinity War' in Cleveland

The Russo Bros direct Chris Evans on the 'Winter Soldier' set
Imagine Medina standing in for the rolling hills of Wakanda or the steps of the Sanctum Sanctorum leading down to E. 9th. With a little more infrastructure, it may have happened.

Cleveland natives and Avengers: Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo said as much recently during a Q&A after a screening of the film at the Cleveland Cinematheque, adding that they would have loved to bring Infinity War to Cleveland. One of the reasons the brothers couldn’t is because it lacks a modern sound stage suitably for a film its size.

The Russos shot much of Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier in Cleveland. If the right sound stage was available, they would have kept the film in Northeast Ohio longer.


Pinewood Atlanta Studios
The directors said the availability of state-of-the-art sound stages was one of the main reasons why nearly 40 feature films are shooting in Georgia. Georgia's Pinewood Atlanta Studios is the second largest purpose-built studio in North America, featuring 18 sound stages ranging from 15,000 to 40,000 square feet with adjacent workshop facilities and a 400-acre backlot.

For a time, there was talk that a sound stage could be built on the former Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom property in Aurora, Ohio, but those plans never came to fruition.


Prepping the Winter Soldier on Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway

Tax incentives may also play a part

Another reason may be Georgia’s generous film tax incentive. The state offers a 20 percent tax credit for companies that spend $500,000 or more on production and post-production, throwing in another 10 percent if the film includes the state’s logo in its end credits. Broderick Johnson, producer of The Blind Side, referred to the credit as “one of the best, if not the best, in the country,” in an interview with Variety. There appears to be no cap, which is why the state has become the Hollywood of the East.

A bill before the Ohio General Assembly would more than double Ohio’s Motion Picture Tax Credit, lifting the benefit from $40 million per fiscal year to $100 million. The goal is to expand the state’s budding film industry by attracting more film, television and theater production.


Shooting 'Spider-Man 3' on Prospect Ave. in Cleveland

Cleveland’s ‘Marvelous’ history

Cleveland is no stranger to Marvel heroes. Sony shot an action sequence for Spider-Man 3 along Prospect Avenue in 2007. The city and surrounding area was also used extensively for Joss Whedon’s Avengers in 2011, which brought all of Marvel’s cinematic heroes together for the first time.

In 2013, the Russos were tapped to direct Winter Soldier. At the time, the choice was questioned by fans because of the Russos background in television comedy. What they got was arguably the best movie in Marvel’s canon.

The Russos shot Winter Soldier in Cleveland, famously shutting down the Detroit Shoreway to film one of the movie’s more intense action sequences.









Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh crowned ‘Best Places to Live and Work' for filmmakers

Filmming 'Fast 8' in downtown Cleveland Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were recently named three of the best cities to pursue filmmaking as a career by MovieMaker . Pittsburgh ranked the highest at No. 10, followed closely by Cincinnati at No. 11. Cleveland came in at No. 18. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati topped Austin, Texas, and Boston, in the results, and Orlando fell far below Cleveland in the annual list. When researching its list, the online publication focuses on livable cities that support filmmaking on every level. “We don’t believe people should have to be rich or well-connected to make movies,” the publication writes. “We think the best place to live is one you can afford — a place where you can be happy, inspired, and financially free to pursue your art.” Netflix's 'White Noise' shot in Cleveland, Oberlin, and several NEO locations Filmed in the CLE Cleveland is a “cinematic powerhouse with Midwestern charm,” writes the pub, adding that Cleveland has ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Everything we know about Hulu’s ‘The Land’ TV pilot

Actor Christopher Meloni hanging with the Cleveland Browns (photo Christopher Meloni) >> Does Hulu’s new streaming series, The Land , focus on the Cleveland Browns? Maybe? Here’s everything we know about Hulu’s The Land  streaming series. What is The Land  TV series about? Nothing official has been announced, but some digging suggests that The Land , aka 17 Sundays , is This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman‘s upcoming Hulu series set in the world of pro football, starring Christopher Meloni and William H. Macy. Meloni was spotted in Cleveland over the summer in Berea, attending a Browns' training camp session, according to News 5 Cleveland . Meloni’s Instagram account confirms it, with snaps of Meloni alongside Miles Garrett and other Browns players. Meloni also visited the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. On August 27, Deadline reported that “'The Land' … got the largest allocation (of California tax credits) … with nearly $43 milli...
2 comments
Read more

Purpose, Passion, and PAs: Meet Lamont Richmond II

Lamont Richmond II > > > A few days after Shooting Stars , the LeBron James biopic, premiered on Peacock, Lamont Richmond II dropped a link to an Instagram post from @MakeItUniversal in my inbox. It was a short feature about working as a production assistant (PA) on the film. “I started in the hospital as a floor tech, cleaning floors,” Richmond tells us in the video. “I did that for three years. Got a call to be a production assistant. She said a P.A. No clue what the letters meant.” And then there he was, on the Akron set of Shooting Stars , handing out call sheets and wrangling extras. I connected with that experience, having worked as a PA on a handful of productions some 20-plus years ago. Which is what stood out to me when Richmond shared the video. Richmond is a young guy. Not like the crew of PAs I worked with. We were all in our early 20s, hoping to make the leap up the production ladder. Beyond his obvious love for the world of film production, why was Richmond work...
Post a Comment
Read more