Written by Tom Deehan on Aug 14, 2017. Posted in On Location / Production News

X-Men: Dark Phoenix marks the third film in the franchise to shoot in Montreal

The latest instalment in the X-Men franchise, Dark Phoenix, will see the series return to Montreal on August 20^th. The production will incur a five day shoot at Mount Royal, doubling the site for New York’s Central Park before moving to a different location.

The decision to film in Mount Royal has been met with controversy due to the high concentration of tourists in the area and how the production might affect parking availability. Montreal Mayor, Denis Coderre has reassured his constituents, explaining that the production won’t affect any scheduled events or activities within the area.

Directed by Simon Kinberg and produced by 20^th Century Fox Film Corporation, the project is expected to stay in Montreal for a number of months, incurring an estimated local spend of CAD80 million in the process.

The film will take place after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse, delving into the Dark Phoenix Saga storyline that was previously depicted in X-Men: The Last Stand. New additions to the cast will include Jessica Chastain and Kota Eberhardt.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix marks the third film in the series to utilise Montreal as a filming location. Québec plays host to one of Canada’s most thriving production hubs, incentivised by a 20% tax credit.

There’s no cap on the amount that can be claimed through the incentive, nor is there a required minimum spend. These competitive aspects have attracted major Hollywood blockbusters such as Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival and Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 2.

Québec recently expanded its production facilities with the opening of a dedicated motion capture studio.