The creators of the film are dubbing it “Hard Luck.” But if you ask Rhode Island lawmakers, its production is a sign of anything but.
The film, directed by Mario Van Peebles and set to star Wesley Snipes and Cybill Shepherd, is the third major production announced in the state since the General Assembly approved new tax incentives for filmmakers earlier this year.
Described as “an action drama in the spirit of ‘Pulp Fiction’ meets ‘Unforgiven,’” the $15-million production is to be filmed across the state through Dec. 23, Steven Feinberg, director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, said at a recent news conference.
Combined with the previously announced “Underdog” and the Showtime series “Brotherhood,” Feinberg said, “Hard Luck” brings the total value of film productions the incentives have helped bring to the state to more than $100 million.
House Speaker William J. Murphy touted the legislation’s success at the news conference, citing a recent Variety Magazine report that said film productions can generate as much as $200,000 for local economies. With recent indicators showing that the region’s economy might lag, Murphy said, these productions could help the state stand its ground.
“We know the economy in Rhode Island will be going forward for at least the next couple of months,” said Murphy, a West Warwick Democrat and sponsor of the bill in the House.
The new law offers two kinds of tax credits:
n Investors who spend between $300,000 and $5 million on a state-certified production will be granted a 15-percent credit on their income taxes, usable over three years, and individuals investing more than $5 million are allowed a 25-percent tax credit.
n A production company spending at least $300,000 will be granted a 25-percent credit on its corporate income tax.
Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, a North Providence Democrat, said the legislation helps attract productions, which spur the local economy by hiring local residents and utilizing local resources.
“Filmmakers see in our state the same things we love – vibrant cities and rich architecture, rural areas and beautiful beaches, all within an hour’s drive,” Montalbano said in prepared remarks. “Combined with the improved economic footing Rhode Island now has thanks to our new film tax credit law, and the accessibility of our leaders, these positive characteristics are attracting Hollywood’s attention on our state like never before.”
Aside from the jobs and business patronage lawmakers said film productions bring to Rhode Island, movies can help attract tourists for years to come, said David C. DePetrillo, the state’s director of tourism. As an example, he cited the 1974 film “The Great Gatsby.”
“It featured so many of the mansions in Newport,” DePetrillo said. “The impact of that went far beyond the occasional filming they did here.”
The effects of the film-tax legislation have already had an impact on one local company. LDI Casting, which bills itself as Rhode Island’s only casting company, has worked to fill roles for “Hard Luck,” said Anne Mulhall, the company’s owner. Before the independent feature was announced, the company worked to hire extras for Showtime’s “Brotherhood.”
Mulhall sees the film-tax legislation and Feinberg’s work as positives for the state’s economy.
“The busier I am, the busier everybody else is,” Mulhall said. “My biggest dilemma now is I think I may have to hire some help,” she joked.
“Hard Luck,” slated to open Memorial Day weekend, will be filmed at locations including the Adult Correctional Institutions and the State House.
