The “Buckeye State” will be the Bucky Barnes state as the Greater Cleveland Film Commission has revealed that it will play host to the Marvel Studios production of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in April next year when production begins on the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger. Much of the recent blockbuster The Avengers was shot there, so hopefully it will be a lucky charm that will rub off on the lynchpin character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is set for release on 4 April 2014 from Disney.
Via the official GCFC blog, the Commission made the following announcement:
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission today announced that Marvel Studios will film portions of Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier in Cleveland, Ohio. Set for release by The Walt Disney Studios in 2014, the movie is a sequel to the 2011 hit Captain America: The First Avenger starring Chris Evans. Marvel Studios will film stage work for the production in the studio’s home state of California.
Filming for Captain America: The Winter Soldier is scheduled to begin next year. This film project follows on the heels of Marvel Studio’s 2012 blockbuster Marvel’s The Avengers, which filmed in several locations throughout Ohio in 2011, broke a number of box office records, and was the fastest film ever to gross $1 billion in sales worldwide.
“Marvel is pleased to return to Ohio, this time with our Captain America: The Winter Soldier production. The location, talent and people of Ohio are sure to benefit our film, and we look forward to beginning production,” said Louis D’Esposito, Co-President, Marvel Studios.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier will pick up where Marvel’s The Avengers leaves off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world. The film will be directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, Cleveland natives whose credits include the movie Welcome to Collinwood, the Fox TV series Arrested Development, and the NBC TV series Community.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission was in talks with Marvel Studios for weeks, sharing information about Ohio’s physical assets and helping them learn about the benefits of filming in Ohio — including the recently expanded Ohio Motion Picture Tax Incentive.
In June, the State of Ohio expanded the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Incentive, a critical tool for strengthening Ohio’s growing film industry and creating jobs for Ohioans. The tax incentive provides for a refundable credit against the corporation franchise or income tax for motion pictures produced in Ohio.
“We’re thrilled that Marvel Studios is bringing another major motion picture project to Cleveland, and we’re committed to showing them the very best our region has to offer,” said Ivan Schwarz, executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. “We proved with the filming of Marvel’s The Avengers that Cleveland has the talent, architecture and amazing locations that will provide filmmakers everything they need to ensure a successful filming experience, and the economic impact of this new project can’t be denied. Filming will create a number of jobs for Ohioans and will give our region another chance to demonstrate how skilled, professional and dedicated our workforce truly is. We especially appreciate Governor Kasich and the Ohio Film Office for their support and timely approval of these exciting opportunities.”
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is committed to building a year-round, sustainable statewide film industry through job creation, workforce development, and attracting media production.
Frank G. Jackson, Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, stated, “We are thrilled to host Marvel and the filming of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2013. We have worked diligently with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission to make our city an attractive location for films of all sizes. Marvel’s return to Cleveland shows we can provide a film-friendly atmosphere that will ultimately lead to a permanent presence of the film industry in Northeast Ohio.”
About 1,143 full-time equivalent Ohio jobs and $35.5 million in household income are estimated to have been credited to the 27 projects that took advantage of the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit since its 2009 inception, and the tax incentive returns $1.20 into the Ohio economy for every $1 invested by the incentive, according to a Cleveland State University study released earlier this year.
“We are thrilled that Cuyahoga County is being seen as a destination for filmmakers,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald. “The resources that we have to offer, including our skilled workforce, makes our region a natural fit for the film industry. Projects like this means jobs and economic development for Cuyahoga County.”
