Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ WINTER’S TALE Shows the New York State Economy Some Love
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2014
Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ WINTER’S TALE Shows the New York State Economy Some Love
NEW YORK – When Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ WINTER’S TALE opens tomorrow, audiences won’t be the only ones benefiting from this Valentine’s Day love story. The project was filmed entirely in New York, and new statistics released by the studio today demonstrate just how impactful the film’s production has been on the local economy.
In the course of production, the studio spent over $15 million with local vendors on housing, catering, wardrobes, construction, and many other services required to make a major motion picture. Additionally, WINTER’S TALE hired nearly 5,000 local cast, crew, and extras who earned over $26 million in wages. The film and television industry in New York has grown steadily over the past few years, thanks largely in part to a reliable tax incentive that attracts productions to the area. According to an HR&A Advisors study released in 2012, jobs analyzed within the industry in New York State grew by nearly 25 percent between 2008 and 2011, while private sector employment as a whole declined 1.6 percent during the same time period.
“Today’s announcement is the latest example of how the State’s film production tax credit program is doing its part to establish New York as the place to be to make a major motion picture,” Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. “The program enabled us to attract WINTER’S TALE which filmed entirely in New York and generated over $15 million for local vendors and over $26 million for more than 5,000 local crew members, cast and extra hires. We are pleased that more and more film and television producers are choosing New York, and by doing so, are helping grow the state’s economy and create jobs.”
“Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is now home to a thriving entertainment industry,” said Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America. “WINTER’S TALE is the latest major studio film to utilize New York’s production tax incentive, and today’s figures remind us of the enormous economic benefit that accompanies local production. It means jobs for the local workforce and income for local businesses, and the statistics released today underscore that.”
“Because the story spans many years, it made location shooting more challenging for the production,” said Lisa Rawlins, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs at Warner Bros. Entertainment. “We are very grateful for the cooperation we received from the neighborhoods we used in New York, especially those in the Brooklyn area, which is an important set piece for the film. Additionally, production’s second unit crew spent six days filming in the Adirondacks and Capital region.”
Key figures released today as a result of the production of WINTER’S TALE are:
- $41,465,577 in total local community expenditures. This includes hotels, car rentals, catering, hardware, dry cleaning, local wages, rental fees, permit fees, and other expenses
- $26,998,940 in wages paid to local New York residents
- 2,902 local cast and crew
- 1,989 local extras utilized
About WINTER’S TALE
Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, “Winter’s Tale” is about miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil. The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award® -winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), and stars Colin Farrell (“Saving Mr. Banks”),Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). The film also stars Oscar® winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”) and Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”), and introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”). Goldsman also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin, and produced the film with Marc Platt (“Drive”), Michael Tadross (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Tony Allard (Showtime’s “The Baby Dance”). The executive producers are Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman. Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Weed Road/Marc Platt Production, “Winter’s Tale.” The film opens February 14, 2014, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. “Winter’s Tale” has been rated PG-13 for violence and some sensuality. winterstalemovie.com
About the MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
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For more information, contact:
MPAA Washington, D.C.
Kate Bedingfield or TJ Ducklo
(202) 293-1966
Kate_Bedingfield@motionpictures.org
TJ_Ducklo@motionpictures.org