Superhero films swoop in to bring cash to the city, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′ will be biggest yet
Peter Parker will spin a web of jobs and cash when he films in New York.
According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” will be the largest movie production ever to be filmed in New York.
The production will bring 3,500 jobs and cast 11,000 extras, Cuomo said Wednesday.
And for the first time, it will be shot completely in New York – before, cameras traveled cross-country between New York and Los Angeles.
“There is no better place to film the next adventure of Peter Parker than right here in the Empire State,” Cuomo said.
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“Spider-Man” joins a string of big-budget superhero movies that not only film scenes of saving civilians but also rescue the city’s economy, according to the mayor’s office.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has welcomed the film industry with open arms with his “Made in NY” initiative, and he lauds a 30 percent tax credit the state provides.
The production industry generates $7 billion for the local economy, according to the mayor’s office, with about 4,000 businesses benefiting from people ordering catering or car services to film sets.
In recent years, blockbusters like “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises “ and the first “Spider-Man” used New York City as their background.
“Dark Knight” alone hired 8,600 locals for cast and crew and spent more than $14 million, according to the city.
And superhero storylines mean more jobs and cash flow, according to the mayor’s office.
“Productions vary in size and budget, but larger films tend to hire more individuals,” said Marybeth Ihle, spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
Gotham, the backdrop for “The Dark Knight,” starred as itself, adding fake cop cars and giant tank replicas for a mob scene in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.
And “The Avengers,” starring celebrities like Scarlett Johannson and Robert Downey, Jr., shot in spots like Central Park.
For “Spider-Man,” movie sets are under construction at Grumman Studios and Gold Coast Studios in Long Island as well as Brooklyn’s Marcy Armory Brooklyn, Cuomo said. The film, which is scheduled to open in 2014, stars Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield.
Gary Martin, president of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, said staying in New York streamlined the shoot – and the tax credit didn’t hurt.
“Plain and simple, this is a win-win for the state and our production,” he said.
New Yorkers may not always welcome the disruption, grumbling about stepping around shoots and blocked-off streets. In Brooklyn Heights, Councilman Stephen Levin asked the mayor’s office to stop allowing filming after 14 productions in two months.
Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter: @reporteralison
