Warner Bros. Entertainment's "It" hired 1,255 cast and crew over 60 days of filming, spent more than $28.9 MILLION in Ontario
TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Warner Bros.' take on Stephen King's classic It hits Canadian theatres today, and newly released economic data highlights the positive impact the film's production had on numerous communities across Southern Ontario.
In just 60 days of filming, It hired 1,255 cast and crew in Ontario, and spent over $28.9 million dollars on payroll and vendor expenditures. The production supported a wide range of local businesses, hotels, catering operations, restaurants, lumber and construction suppliers, as well as spending $14.1 million on local payroll.
When Ontarians head to the theatres this summer to see where IT lives, they may also recognize a number of key locations where filming took place. The production was a boost to the local economy in Toronto and numerous smaller cities throughout the province, including:
- Port Hope, in a starring role with filming at Town Hall, Memorial Park, and the Cameco Capitol Arts Centre;
- Houses in Oshawa, Hamilton, and Whitevale;
- The Kissing Bridge in Woolwich;
- A farm in Milton; and
- Sherman Waterfalls in Ancaster
"Ontario provided a perfect backdrop for the production of It, using locations in cities ranging from Port Hope and Milton to Woolwich and Toronto. The beauty of the locations provides important contrast to the frightening milieu that the film creates," said, Bill Draper, President, Worldwide Physical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. "All of the cities were gracious hosts to the production and made it a positive experience for us to film in Ontario."
"I'm thrilled to see yet another example of Ontario's film industry thriving and leaving lasting impacts in host communities," said Eleanor McMahon, Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. "With production taking place across southern Ontario, it is a perfect example of the cultural and economic role major film projects can play by creating jobs, supporting local businesses and promoting Ontario's brand globally."
"Production of the Warner Bros.' film It had a positive economic impact on the Municipality of Port Hope, with close to $600,000 infused into our community from facility rentals, permits, location fees, local accommodations, employment and various other production costs," noted Bob Sanderson, Mayor of the Municipality of Port Hope. "Highlighting our Municipality in a feature film of this magnitude allowed Port Hope to shine as a destination of choice for both the film industry and for those who, through the film, are exposed to the beauty and unique historical flavor of our town."
"Our film, television and digital industry has had booming success over the last couple of years and with productions like It, the industry shows no signs of slowing down," said Toronto Mayor John Tory. "We have tremendous Toronto talent in front of and behind the screen, and it's great to see that in It. We're working to bring more business to Toronto. We are ready for more investment in this key economic driver for our city."
"The numbers speak for themselves. Big-budget features such as It not only mean hundreds of good jobs for the highly skilled film technicians across Canada, they have a massive spillover effect where shooting occurs - and the entire area benefits," said John Lewis, International Vice President of the IATSE, Director of Canadian Affairs.
"The data released today highlights how film and TV production in Ontario creates jobs and supports local businesses," said Wendy Noss, President of the Motion Picture Association – Canada. "The considerable benefits created by Warner Bros.' It demonstrate the important role film and television production continues to play in communities large and small across Ontario."
About MPA-Canada:
The Motion Picture Association – Canada (MPA-Canada) serves as the voice and advocate of the major international producers and distributors of movies, home entertainment and television programming in Canada and is an affiliate of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA). The motion picture studios we serve are: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
SOURCE Motion Picture Association - Canada
Mollie Anderson, [email protected]
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