Film Industry Is Rebounding In New Jersey; $500M Expected To Be Spent In 2021

NEWARK, NJ — Movie producers and filmmakers are expected to spend a whopping $500 million in New Jersey this year as the industry begins to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, officials say. And some of that cash will be coming Newark’s way.

The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission recently announced that in-state production spending from filmmaking will exceed half a billion dollars in 2021. The prediction comes after a “very busy spring and summer” and an “unprecedented amount of production” taking place this fall, officials said.

Some of that filming took place in the state’s largest city, Newark. Shows that chose the Brick City included "The Equalizer," "Law & Order" and "Wu-Tang: An American Saga."

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And the filming isn’t over in Newark. Earlier this month, the commission announced that Newark Symphony Hall will be the location for USA Network's new television show, "America's Big Deal."

The record number of productions shooting in the state comes just three years after Gov. Phil Murphy reinstated the state’s film and television tax credit program, and less than a year after the program was expanded.

Some critics have questioned the state’s tax breaks for moviemakers, claiming they only help wealthy producers without offering any long-term benefits for residents.

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But according to the state film commission’s vice president, David Smith, each major project that chooses New Jersey has an “enormous financial impact” on the state.

For example, the filming of the Hulu series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Season 2” poured about $58 million into local cities and towns. Meanwhile, Universal Television spent close to $100 million in New Jersey while producing season one of CBS’ “The Equalizer,” Smith added.

The plethora of production has encouraged a rush of studio development in New Jersey and attracted other ancillary businesses, state officials said. Cinelease Studios Caven Point in Jersey City and Palisade Stages in Kearny opened earlier this year, and 10 Basin Studios in Kearny will open its doors in November. Insight Equipment, a major lighting and grip supplier, opened facilities in Secaucus and Carlstadt in July, and other developments are reportedly on the way, including further expansion from Cinelease.

Projects shooting in New Jersey over the next several months include:

• “Armageddon Time” from Focus Features and starring Robert De Niro, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway
• “Jules” with Ben Kingsley and Jane Curtin
• Universal Pictures’ “Bros,” a Judd Apatow production starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane
• Killer Films’ “A Good Person” featuring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman
• “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” an Apple TV+ production with Russell Crowe, Zac Efron and Bill Murray
• “Something’s Wrong With Rose” from Paramount Pictures, starring Sosie Bacon
• Imperative Entertainment’s “Cat Person” with Nicholas Braun and Emilia Jones

The record spending from film and television production comes a year after the industry was essentially shut down due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

“New Jersey’s film production industry has undergone explosive growth in the last four years,” Gov. Murphy said.

“It is generating very significant revenue for our cities and towns, creating thousands of jobs and promoting permanent, bricks-and-mortar development,” Murphy said. “The most exciting part of it all is that we are just getting started.”

Secretary of State Tahesha Way said it’s exciting to see the film industry once again thrive in New Jersey.

“Major film and television productions are investing in New Jersey’s economy, the creative local workers they hire, and the communities where they choose to tell their stories,” Way said. “We cannot wait to see more of the Garden State on camera in the coming year.”

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