"Sadly, like their current comedy HALL PASS, which is set in Providence and on Cape Cod, the Farrellys will film the Stooges flick in Georgia. 'We need good weather, so we have to head south. And unfortunately for Massachusetts, Georgia has a better tax incentive and that’s huge,” said Bobby. “We save millions by going down there and you just can’t talk the studio out of it.'" ---Boston Herald Inside Track, February 22, 2011
The Massachusetts film tax credit (25%) is every bit as competitive as Georgia's (30%)---especially when you compare what actually qualifies for the credit in each state. For a film shooting in April and May, weather should not be an issue. HALL PASS (and all of those jobs) ended up in Georgia not because their tax incentive was better, but because of studio fears that our tax incentive was about to get worse. It did not. Unfortunately, perception has become reality. Now, with the complete elimination of the Massachusetts film office and its budget, changing that perception is an uphill slog.
