Michigan Film Office incentive attracts Paramount Pictures “Looking for Alaska”

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Filming project coming to Michigan is eligible to receive an incentive of over $7 million from the Michigan Film Office

LANSING, MI – The Michigan Film Office confirmed today that filming for the Paramount Pictures film “Looking for Alaska,” based on the best-selling novel by acclaimed author John Green, will come to Michigan in the fall.

The project is eligible to receive an incentive of over $7 million from the Michigan Film Office (MFO) based on a projected spending of over $21 million with two-thirds to be spent directly with Michigan residents and Michigan-based vendors. Of the over 300 anticipated cast and crew hires, more than 200 are expected to be Michigan residents along with 1,718 extras among the local hires.

Directed by Rebecca Thomas (Electrick Children), the NY Times best-seller is being adapted for the screen by “The Fault in Our Stars” screenwriters Scott Neutadter & Michael H. Weber. “Looking for Alaska” is produced by Temple Hill’s Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen (“Paper Towns,” “Fault in Our Stars”), along with Mark Waters and Jessica Tuchinsky (“500 Days of Summer”). 

Specific shooting locations in Michigan will be identified in upcoming weeks. If you are interested in seeking work as a member of the film crew, please send your resume to [email protected]

On July 10, House Bill 4122 was signed into law, which eliminates the program whereby MFO may enter into new film and digital media incentive agreements. The aforementioned project was issued an executed agreement prior to the signing of the legislation. Any film or digital media project approved and issued a fully executed agreement prior to the signing of the legislation will be administered in accordance with the law. The MFO is no longer accepting applications for projects seeking incentives.

MFO, established in 1979 to assist and attract production companies and promote the growth of Michigan’s film industry, will remain open and continue to promote film, television and other digital media production in the state.

For more information, please visit Michigan Film Office.

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