Written by on Apr 17, 2015. Posted in On Location

Crime drama Banshee starts filming new season in Pittsburgh

Long-running US crime drama Banshee has started filming its new season on location in Pittsburgh. The city has in recent years featured in Tom Cruise’s vigilante drama Jack Reacher, and also stood in for Gotham in Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises.

Banshee has relocated from North Carolina, which has downgraded its filming incentive this year. The state sharply reduced its annual film fund to just USD 10 million, half of which has been claimed for this year by the Stephen King TV series Under the Dome.

“Television series are amazing in that they provide long-term employment for our local crew and ongoing business for our local vendors,” said Pittsburgh Film Office director Dawn Keezer in recent comments to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“This is a direct result of the very successful Film Tax Credit programme. If we could uncap the Film Tax Credit programme, we would see even more of this type of work and economic activity in our region.”

Producers filming in Pennsylvania can access a 25% filming tax credit when they spend 60% of their budget in the state. Recent high-profile shoots have included Will Smith’s NFL drama Concussion, Russell Crowe’s Fathers and Daughters, and Vin Diesel’s The Last Witch Hunter.

One of the main local controversies is the USD 60 million cap on Pennsylvania’s annual film fund, which the production industry says limits the state’s ability to appeal to more big-budget shoots.

Banshee has the potential to have a dramatic impact on Pennsylvania’s economy if the show becomes a long-term resident.