Film productions based in Baton Rouge have spent about $81.5 million this year, compared to about $28.3 million last year.
That’s the highest total since at least 2017. The increase can be attributed to pent-up demand following the COVID limitations of 2020, when total spending was less than $600,000, and the need to create content for streaming services, says Baton Rouge Film Commission Executive Director Katie Pryor.
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“I think streaming is now the new cultural norm,” she says. “You’re always going to have increased demand.”
Major Baton Rouge-based projects this year include:
- National Treasure: Edge of History, a series for Disney+
- The Iron Claw, an A24 feature film starring Zac Efron
- Half Baked 2, a Universal Studios sequel to the 1998 comedy
- Family Christmas (working title), a made-for-TV movie
This story originally appeared in a Nov. 14 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.