The mayor of Montreal is going to Hollywood later this month to convince stakeholders that the city as an excellent place to produce films and TV shows.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is traveling to Los Angeles from Nov. 12 to 16 on behalf of the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec, MELS studios, MTL Grandé, Difuze and Rodéo FX, according to the Daily Hive. The aim is to bolster the province’s economy by bringing additional Hollywood productions to the area.
“Quebec has all it when it comes to hosting the best cinematography productions. This industry is already contributing to the province’s creative economy by creating quality jobs,” says FTQ President Daniel Boyer. “Valérie Plante compared Montreal to its neighbour, Toronto, but we can do better. A lot of jobs could be created by turning Montreal into a major player in the industry.”
Over the past few years, several major films have been shot in Montreal, including John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), Arrival (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), White House Down (2013) and Life of Pi (2012). Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler spent time in Montreal over the summer to film the Netflix comedy Murder Mystery.
One of the benefits of filming in Montreal is a provincial tax credit that’s made available to film and TV companies. Montreal also has a broad architectural context, making it a good substitute for cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston, and Paris.
Quebec currently earns an estimated $650 million annually from the film, TV, and special effects industries.
Toronto is also a hot spot for film and TV companies. Popular movies that have been filmed in the city include Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Mean Girls (2004), and American Psycho (2000). The TV series Suits, which used to star Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, also films in the city.
Several celebrities headed to various parts of the country to film new projects this summer. Chelsea Peretti filmed new comedy Spinster in Nova Scotia, Katee Sackhoff filmed Netflix series Another life in Vancouver, and Gina Carano filmed Daughter of the Wolf in British Columbia. Chris Pratt headed to Vancouver to film Cowboy Ninja Viking.
