"Hollywood (Underdog Movie) comes to Rhode Island"

 Source: The Brown Daily Herald
Written by Thi Ho

A host of television and film productions have come to Rhode Island recently, the result of legislation passed last year by the General Assembly that gives film companies tax credits of up to 25 percent against the business corporate tax.

The law, aimed to attract filmmakers, allows Rhode Island to compete against states with similar tax incentives, like New York and Louisiana.

There's no need to fear, Underdog is here

The multimillion-dollar Disney movie "Underdog" will be filmed from start to finish in Rhode Island.

"Underdog," which began shooting in April, is a live-action version of the 1960s cartoon about a dog named Shoeshine who gains super powers. Filming locations include the Cranston Street Armory, Hope High School and downtown Providence.

Todd Arnow, the movie's executive producer, said the film company chose to shoot in Providence because of the presence of a state capitol building, a feature integral to a movie set in "Capitol City."

"Providence was competing with Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver for an urban feel with a capitol building," Arnow said.

He added that the state offered free access to the armory and the State House, sweetening the deal and encouraging the company to choose Providence over cities in Canada and Belgium. He said the tax incentives made it even more "enticing" to film here.

"There has been a problem in Hollywood of what we call 'runaway productions' in foreign countries because of tax incentives," Arnow said, as more and more productions head overseas to be filmed. But because of legislation like the Rhode Island tax credits, he said, "movies that went overseas are staying in the U.S."

Arnow said "Underdog" will bring $40 million into the Rhode Island economy. According to Feinberg, the state has already netted $100 million from film productions since the Film and Television Office was established two years ago.

Feinberg said increased use of local restaurants and hotels by film production crews benefits the state economy. He also said new jobs are created.

Arnow said about half of the crew for "Underdog" hails from New England. He added that each new film venture in Rhode Island improves the prospects for the local film industry.

"When the next film comes in, the locals will already have experience," he said.

But there's one thing the state can't control - the unpredictable New England weather, which Arnow said has discouraged some filming crews.

"The weather is tough to deal with. The light is always changing from cloudy to sunny. When you shoot in California, the weather is really consistent," Arnow said.

But Arnow said the city has much to offer and has greeted the production crew with "open arms."

Filming in New England is sometimes physically easier for crews than in other locales, according to Scott Levine, publicist for "Underdog."

"Because Providence downtown is not very dense, filming in the streets does not create a bottleneck in traffic as in New York," he said.

Despite the weather, Arnow said his experience filming in Providence has gone well so far.

"I really like it here," Arnow said. "I see more positives than negatives."