Transformers 5 has been the talk of the town for quite some time now. It was just recently reported that the filming of the movie will take place in Detroit. Apparently, Michigan is offering $21 million in incentives to Paramount to film the movie in the state.
Various reports suggest that some sort of deal was struck up between the Michigan Film Office and Paramount in the past which entitled the latter to receive $42 million in incentives for filming Transformers 5 in Detroit. However, as of July 2015, the Michigan Film Office has stopped offering incentives altogether.
That being said, the two companies restructured the terms of the agreement and now the Michigan Film Office will pay half of the agreed money to Paramount as incentive for the upcoming film. Though the incentive program has ceased to exist in the state, the Michigan Film Office decided to honor the deal in some way.
Thus, it decided to offer half the money to Paramount for Transformers 5. It can be dubbed as a win-win situation for both the sides. On one hand the state is saving $21 million, and on the other Paramount is getting at least half the allotted money even when the incentive program has been completely shut down in the state.
As for the remaining half of the $42 million, it will find its way back to the state general fund when the current fiscal year comes to an end.
Jenell Leonard, the commissioner of the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office stated that the filming of a high-profile movie like Transformers 5 in Detroit will definitely provide a boost to its economy. It will also act as a testament to the talent that the state’s production community possess.
The filmmakers of Transformers 5 have decided to spend $80 million on filming in the state. It has been confirmed that out of the 850 cast and crew members, 450 will be hired from the state of Michigan. Out of these 450 hires, 228 will be for full time positions. Apart from this the production unit will also hire 700 extras.
It is not the first time that Transformers film will be shot in Detroit. The last released film of the series, that is Transformers: Age of Extinction was also shot in Detroit. The filmmakers transformed a part of Detroit into Hong Kong during the shooting of the film.
Lee Rosenthal, the President of Physical Production at Paramount Pictures pointed out that the state of Michigan has always welcomed the Transformers movies. He also added that the entire team of Transformers 5 is extremely excited to once again return to Michigan for the shooting of the upcoming movie.
The $80 million that the production unit will spend in Detroit will definitely work towards providing a boost for the economy. The money will be spent on the purchase of different necessary items from the local stores. It will also be utilized to make reservations in hotels and motels throughout the state for the cast and crew members of the film. Apart from these, the filmmakers will spend it in whatever ways they deem necessary.
It should be noted that the filming of Transformers 5 will also take place in various other parts of the world apart from Detroit. The process is scheduled to kick off in June 2016 in London, England.
The filmmakers are currently on the lookout for stand-ins, extras and photo doubles for the upcoming movie. Applications are currently being invited for auditions for supporting roles in the movie. Interested candidates can send in headshots (8 x 10) to the following address-
Denise Chamain, Transformers 5, 606 N. Larchmont, Suite 202, Los Angeles, California, 90004.