Home Nonprofit & Education Art & Culture State film office mum on Hollywood’s return to Providence neighborhood

State film office mum on Hollywood’s return to Providence neighborhood

By

Christopher Allen

-

07/21/2025

Photographer — THE R.I. FILM & TV OFFICE has committed $19.2 million of the $20 million available in motion picture tax credits for calendar year 2025. Pictured is Executive Director Steven Feinberg / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Residents, businesses and organizations in and around Benefit Street received flyers earlier this month announcing that Warner Bros. subsidiary Charlestown Productions LLC would be filming part of a feature film in the neighborhood on Aug. 16. The production company is also looking for properties in the area to utilize. Providence Preservation Society

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PROVIDENCE – Residents, businesses and organizations in and around Benefit Street received flyers earlier this month announcing that Warner Bros. subsidiary Charlestown Productions LLC would be filming part of a feature film in the neighborhood on Aug. 16. The production company is also looking for properties in the area to utilize. Providence Preservation Society Executive Director Marisa Angell Brown said the organization received more than a flyer. In an email to the nonprofit shared with Providence Business News, assistant location manager Olivia Minervini requested contact information for the potential use of the Providence Arsenal for catering space, which was used by a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios during the production of Hocus Pocus 2 in 2021. City Hall spokesperson Michaela Antunes said the city has not received any permit applications or any information about the film. Requests for comment to Warner Bros. were not immediately returned. In May, Steven Feinberg, executive director of the R.I. Film & TV Office, updated lawmakers on the motion picture tax incentive program, which offers tax credits of up to 30% on local production costs, disclosing the office had already committed $19.92 million in tax credits for calendar year 2025. The tax credits this year are currently capped at $20 million, with credits issued either the year they are earned or via a three-year rollover option. For tax year 2022, the cap was increased to $30 million, moving to $40 million exclusively for tax years 2023 and 2024. Feinberg reported that five productions have applied for tax credits for 2025 and four have applied for credits in 2024 “but will complete their Rhode Island filming activities in 2025,” according to the memo. While pending productions remain confidential, some of the most recent tax credit applications include a filing in March for a $16.6 million production anticipating $5 million in tax credits. The film office has repeatedly said that every dollar of tax credits awarded generates $5.44 in economic activity for the state. However, a July 2024 state revenue report showed the state incurs a loss on the program, reporting 9 cents in net general revenues for every dollar spent on tax credits from 2019 to 2021. The most recent audits show the state allocated $33.2 million in tax credits to eight productions that concluded in 2022, exceeding the cap for that year. On Monday Feinberg declined to comment on the upcoming production and said the office hopes to share a press release "sooner rather than later.” Christopher Allen is a staff writer for PBN. He can be reached at Allen@PBN.com.