The film and television industry has had a $13.6 million economic impact on Baton Rouge so far this year, estimates Film BR Executive Director Katie Pryor.
Of that total, $9 million went to Louisiana payrolls, says Pryor who will begin gathering official numbers later this month to be filed with state officials before February. Still to be counted, says Pryor, is how much Marvel Studios spent during its eight days of summer filming for “Captain Marvel,” saying she’d be surprised if the Disney-owned company spent less than $5 million.
Overall, Baton Rouge saw four feature films and one television project filmed in the area, not including Tom Hank’s “Greyhound,” which wrapped shooting in April. Pryor calls the movie the area’s “big groundbreaker” for the year. The film, in theaters next March, began production in December 2017, so the project’s spending this year was reflected in last year’s numbers.
As for next year, there are a few projects “penciled in” for Baton Rouge, but Pryor says companies won’t begin committing to projects until the new year. Early trends indicate more companies are looking at Baton Rouge for future television projects, which she believes are a better investment because TV shows tend to be long-term projects that stretch the economic boost on the area compared to feature films.
