 |
"No Country for Old Men" filmed in New Mexico and subsidized by the local government
Brad Pitt, one of the richest men in the world, is costing the Louisiana tax payers $27,117,737 for his latest film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
States have been aggressively bidding to win over film productions, with Louisiana being the most aggressive of them all.
One of the reasons states have jumped in on film productions is the decline in private investors. The other is to counter the effects of American productions in Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. Ultimately, the goal is to increase local economies.
Still, one has to wonder if Louisiana residents will be pleased to know that they are paying double for their tickets to see Brad Pitt's film, one through their taxes, and the other through their theater tabs. And given that Brad Pitt's recent films aren't doing too well, what do they think of their state's investment?
Ironically, Brad Pitt is also doing his humanitarian bit in New Orleans by helping revive a section of the city devastated by Katrina. I wonder how he feels about getting subsidized, by the government no less, to revive his own profession, which then allows him to be the humanitarian that he is.