Georgia film industry sizzles with Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig, other stars
The already sizzling Georgia movie and television filming industry just seems to be getting hotter.
Upcoming movies starring Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig, Liam Neeson, Diane Lane and Channing Tatum were at least partially shot in the Peach State, contributing to an economic impact of $9.5 billion over the past year.
In all, there were 320 film and TV productions in the state, with direct spending in the neighborhood of $2.7 billion, the numbers unveiled Monday by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s office. That last figure is up dramatically from nearly $68 million a decade ago.
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Craig Miller, chair of Deal’s Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment Commission, on Tuesday called it “huge news” for the industry and the state overall.
“(That) $9.5 billion represents booming business and more jobs for Georgians, not only for those involved on set, but for the countless industries that are benefiting from the increased business film and television brings to the state,” he said.
The state also is reaping the benefits of more exposure for the filming industry, with more infrastructure being announced and put in place, the governor’s office said, such as Three Ring Studios in Covington. The bigger that physical presence becomes, the more productions the state can handle.
“Georgia’s film industry supports thousands of jobs, boosts small business growth and expands offerings for tourists,” Deal said in a statement. “These productions mean new economic opportunities and real investments in local communities.”
Companies taking part in the burgeoning film industry include those offering camera, lighting and audio equipment and services, as well as businesses that provide catering, transportation, construction and financial services.
The state’s film and tourism divisions also focused on the industry in fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30, by calling it the “Year of Georgia Film” because of the visitors who travel to the state at some point after seeing major motion pictures or TV shows shot here. For instance, Senoia, Ga., south of Atlanta, has seen a tourism boom because of the shooting of the hit AMC cable show, “The Walking Dead,” in and around that small community.
The motion pictures that will make their debuts in the coming weeks were filmed in the Georgia cities of Atlanta, Madison, Ball Ground, Douglasville and in Clayton County, according to online movie information site IMDb.
That same website shows that Columbus and Phenix City were among the film locations for the 2014 flick, “The Need for Speed,” with that production shutting down the 13th Street bridge briefly for the shooting of a fiery car crash scene. Other Georgia cities on the road-warrior location list for that movie were Macon, Rome, Blue Ridge, Braselton, Jackson, Cartersville and Atlanta.
Here are the coming movies and TV shows with Georgia filming connections and their release or air dates:
▪ “Logan Lucky” (in theaters) starring Daniel Craig and Channing Tatum, opens Aug. 18
▪ “American Made” (in theaters) starring Tom Cruise and Domhnall Gleason, opens Sept. 29
▪ “The Silent Man” (in theaters) starring Liam Neeson and Diane Lane, opens Sept. 29
▪ “Thank You for Your Service” (in theaters) starring Miles Teller, Haley Bennett and Joe Cole, opens Oct. 27
▪ “Ozark” (on Netflix) starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, airs July 21
▪ “Manhunt” (on Discover) starring Sam Worthington and Paul Bettany, airs Aug. 1
▪ “Stranger Things” (on Netflix) airs Oct. 31
This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Georgia film industry sizzles with Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig, other stars."