Hollywood may be on the other side of the country but the film scene is booming right here in Rhode Island.
“Ghostwriter” — an upcoming movie directed by Emmy-winner J.J. Abrams — filmed in Providence, East Providence and Cranston last month, choosing to shoot in destinations like Benefit Street, the Point Street Bridge and other familiar local spots. Providence residents reportedly spotted Glen Powell, who stars in the film alongside castmates Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey and Samuel L. Jackson.
The Warner Bros. project is the latest major movie to film in the state this year. “Remain,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, wrapped its shots in Rhode Island in mid-August.
Since 2005, Rhode Island has been host to close to 100 films and TV shows, according to the R.I. Film and Television Office. Major creators “are now anchoring projects here … turning the Ocean State into one of the East Coast’s most exciting production hubs,” wrote Scott Saracen, senior systems design programmer and a R.I. Film and TV spokesperson, in an email to The Herald.
Bringing these films to Rhode Island can “inject cash into the economy, showcase Rhode Island to the world and help establish the state as a creative and cultural hub,” Saracen added.
Every dollar of tax credits issued to the production of horror drama NOS4A2 in Rhode Island yielded $5.44 of economic impact to the state, according to a 2022 study by Industrial Economics.
Many filmmakers are choosing to shoot in the Ocean State due to these “favorable” tax credits, said Rebecca Gibel MFA’10, a local professional actor and visiting lecturer in Brown’s Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and the Brown/Trinity MFA Program. Providence can substitute for “Boston, but at a bargain price” for filmmakers, she added.
The state of Rhode Island uses the Motion Picture Production Tax Credit to lure eligible filmmakers, who — through the credit — get back 30% of their production costs that are directly tied to activity within the state.
To be eligible, projects must complete at least 51% of its principal photography — or filming — and spend at least $100,000 in Rhode Island. The principal photography requirement may be waived if a production spends at least $10 million in Rhode Island in one year.
“Ghostwriter” likely does not qualify because the majority of filming took place in the United Kingdom.
That the film chose to shoot in Rhode Island without the tax credit is actually “more exciting,” said Chad Verdi Jr., a producer with the Rhode Island-based production company, Verdi Films.
“It’s not just the tax credit, but also it’s just a beautiful state,” he said.
Rhode Island can “feel like rural English countryside and this urban city within minutes of one another,” Gibel said. She cited Rhode Island’s topographic diversity, location and size as factors that make it ideal for production.
Providence, dubbed the “creative capital,” is a “premier destination for filmmaking with stunning architecture, unique character and a professional city service team,” Michaela Antunes, a spokesperson for the city of Providence, wrote in an email to The Herald. The city worked closely with film crews on both “Ghostwriter” and “Remain” to coordinate the logistics of filming, including street closures, she added.
With production companies typically opting to shoot in larger cities like Los Angeles or New York, Verdi Films Producer Paul Luba recalled having to regularly leave Rhode Island for a project.
“Now we can be here and stay here,” he said.
HBO Max’s “The Gilded Age,” shot its first season in Newport in 2021, and the following two seasons in 2022 and 2024. The show has already announced plans to return to the Ocean State for its fourth season.
Major film production also creates a “specific tourism” because fans want to visit the spots where their favorite characters have been brought to life, Gibel added.
When films are shot in Rhode Island, local actors also have the opportunity to participate in roles like table reads and background work, she said. As “directors realize the depth of talent and skill here, hopefully they’ll want to come back because they’ll realize that Rhode Islanders have the expertise to get it done.”
“This is the golden age of film and television in Rhode Island,” Saracen wrote, “with an even brighter future ahead.”
Maya Kelly is a senior staff writer from Providence who covers business and development. A concentrator in urban studies and data fluency, she is passionate about intersecting storytelling with data analysis. When Maya's not at The Herald, you can find her hanging from an aerial silk, bullet journaling or in the middle of a forest.
