Another high-profile movie franchise will be lensing in the Michigan area. Michael Bay is currently blowing things up real good in Detroit where his Transformers 4 production has been filming for the past couple of months, and now it has been confirmed that Warner Bros.’ Batman vs. Superman will be setting up shop in The Great Lakes State. The Detroit Free Press confirmed the news, adding that Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel follow-up will be filming in Detroit and surrounding areas in the state during the first quarter of 2014. The production will earn $35 million in tax incentives, which should put a dent in the film’s sure-to-be hefty budget.
Hit the jump for more, including the full press release.
David S. Goyer is writing the script for the currently untitled superhero pic, which will see Henry Cavill’s Superman square off against Ben Affleck’s Batman. The only other confirmed casting at this point is the return of Man of Steel’s Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, and Diane Lane; no, Bryan Cranston is not playing Lex Luthor. Filming will get underway early next year in anticipation of the film’s July 17, 2015 release date.
Here’s the press release regarding the production heading to Michigan (via SHH), which confirms a previous report by Latino Review:
The Michigan Film Office announced today that the next DC Entertainment Super Hero movie from Warner Bros. Pictures has been approved for a film incentive from the state.
The film, from director Zack Snyder, brings together the two greatest Super Heroes of all time—Superman and Batman—for the first time on the big screen. Production on the new film is expected to begin in metro Detroit and throughout Michigan sometime in the first quarter of 2014. Snyder is co-writing the story with David S. Goyer, who is writing the screenplay. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing the film, which will star Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.
“This project will further strengthen the reputation of Michigan and metro Detroit as a premier film destination,” said Margaret O’Riley, director of the Michigan Film Office. “We look forward to the spotlight shining on our incredibly talented workforce and the businesses that support our film industry here in Michigan.”
“Detroit is a great example of a quintessential American city, and I know it will make the perfect backdrop for our movie,” stated filmmaker Zack Snyder. “Detroit and the entire state of Michigan have been fantastic collaborators, and we are looking forward to working together on this film.”
The as-yet-untitled feature film was awarded an incentive of $35 million on $131 million of projected in-state expenditures. The production is expected to hire 406 Michigan workers, with a full time equivalent of 426 jobs, plus an additional 6,000 man/days of extra work. The production anticipates using approximately 500 local Michigan vendors during the course of production and spending $5.1 million on local hotels, as well as an additional $3.5 million in out-of-town cast and crew per diem payments that will be spent in the local economy but which fall outside of the incentive program.
The incentive funding for the project will be allocated out of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. However, any funding remaining from the budget at the end of the current fiscal year will be directed to offset the full incentive amount for this project.