Movie Studio in Plymouth? (Boston, Weymouth: hotel, movies, casinos)

[clevedark]

Has anyone here been following that story? I'm wondering what it might mean for the area. It all sounds very exciting, but I'm not familiar with the industry and the possibilities.

If anyone is more clued in I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[CaseyB]

The Patriot Ledger has lots of reports and information about the proposal: Hollywood East: Proposed movie studio in Plymouth - © 2008 The Patriot Ledger

The last I heard it was on track, but with the economy the way it is, who knows how long it will take.

[CoastalMaine]

Channel 5 just did a report on it ... I believe it was the beginning of the week... everything was still on track... google it and see what you can find out.... sounds pretty promising for an under appreciated part of the south coast imo... should bring some great revenue to the state and sounds also like a lot of jobs will be created for locals.... all positive... I'm in favor of this over a casino, that's for sure....

[lrfox]

The Plymouth studio (Plymouth Rock Studios) is one of THREE studios that have been in the works in Massachusetts for over a year now. Plymouth is the furthest along in terms of planning and approvals, but the other two aren't TOO far behind.

Tax breaks for the film industry as well as a WIDE variety of "on location" options make Massachusetts an ideal place to shoot movies. More than you might think are filmed here. Obviously, the ones filmed in Boston that are set in Boston are well known, but Boston makes an ideal set (and a more affordable one) when filming movies set elsewhere. For example, Pink Panther 2 was filmed here and Back Bay streets were stand-ins for Paris. Paul Blart, Mall Cop was filmed at both the Burlington and South Shore Plaza Malls, The interior of the Fairmont Copley Plaza played the role of the "Park Plaza Hotel" in Bride Wars, and a newer Bruce Willis movie used sections of Franklin Street in Boston to stand in as Midtown Manhattan (it's funny seeing NYC Yellow Cabs on Boston Streets in certain photos).

Massachusetts is very versatile in that regard. It can "act" as MANY places if need be. It's also become easier and more affordable for filmakers to work here.

Other locations (separate from Plymouth Rock Studios) being looked at by different Hollywood companies are the Weymouth Air Base (old info on it here: Movie studio backers seek big break - The Boston Globe ) as well as the South Boston Seaport. If all of these were completed as planned, I believe it would be the largest square footage of movie studios in the U.S. outside of Hollywood.

While I believe Plymouth will happen, the other two could get snagged up a bit by the economy, but who knows... movies are doing well still.

I like this better than the Casino as well as it seems almost every state nowadays thinks Casinos are going to be the big "fix" for their economies. If Maine, NH, VT, MA, etc all get Casinos (and Rhode Island's existing slots turn to full casinos), They won't draw the crowds that places like Foxwoods do simply because the market in New England will be flooded. Movies will always be a stong facet of the economy and if Mass. can pull some of that industry in, it can only be a positive.

[clevedark]

Thank you everyone.

I read something very interesting recently about the studios, about the satellite location Mass Art will be setting up there.

It could be a fantastic thing. I hope it all works out.

I know we should all be concerned about too many tax breaks, and making sure the community has enough benefits from the project. But there's so many large tracts of unused land in the area that the project almost seems like a gift from heaven.