The third installment of the Iron Man movie series will begin filming in Wilmington early next year, bringing 550 jobs to the region. WHQR’s Michelle Bliss reports that Governor Bev Perdue announced Thursday that Marvel Studios chose North Carolina over several competing states.
North Carolinabeat out California, New Mexico, and Michigan, along with Canada, for the production. Perdue says that sealing this deal keeps the state’s film industry relevant to Hollywood studios. She also says that even though film jobs aren’t permanent, Iron Man will have a lasting effect on the area.
“Film jobs continue to find new jobs as more movies come. And so, the fact that we have a film like this one, Iron Man 3, means that this industry is alive and well and that while they’re shooting that production, there will like be another movie that we recruit and land for southeastern North Carolina.”
Screen Gems President Chris Cooney says North Carolina beat out several other states and Canada because of its film incentives and state-of-the-art equipment.
Cooney says that with so much space, Marvel crews can design sets for all the different characters and move from one stage to another with ease.
Filming will last ten months and Perdue says the project will have an 80-million-dollar impact on the local economy.
The movie will star Robert Downey Jr.
