DETROIT – Even though the Michigan film credits were eliminated by the Michigan legislature last year, the state has agreed to honor a portion of the agreement originally made with Paramount Pictures and awarded the movie studio $21 million in incentives – half the original amount – to shoot some of “Transformers 5” in Detroit this summer, the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office announced.
Transformers 5 is expected to pump $80 million into Michigan’s economy by creating the equivalent of 228 full-time positions. Paramount said it plans to hire 850 cast and crew members, 450 of which will be Michigan residents. Director Michael Bay also plans to use some 700 extras during filming. Michigan played host to three of the first four films in the franchise, which have grossed $3.7 billion worldwide.
Casting: All talent are legally required to work in London and Detroit. Casting for extras, stand-ins and photo doubles will take place closer to the start of production this summer.
For starring and supporting roles, interested actors can submit resumes and headshots to:
Denise Chamian, “Transformers 5,” 606 N. Larchmont Blvd. Suite 202, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Film crew: Experienced film crew members, production staff and vendors can submit resumes online to: [email protected]. Enter the specific crew member position that you are submitting for in the subject line of your email.
The $21 million film credit awarded Paramount, however, was only half of what had been agreed to originally by the state before the film credits were eliminated by the legislature last July. A deal was cut and the $42 million was trimmed to $21 million, with the rest returning to the state budget.
“Michigan has been so welcoming of Michael Bay and the ‘Transformers’ movies over the years and we are thrilled to be returning for this next incredible installment,” Lee Rosenthal, president of physical production at Paramount Pictures, said in a statement.
“Having one of the highest-profile film franchises created in Michigan is a major economic boost and a testament to the talent of the state’s production community,” added Jenell Leonard, commissioner of the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office. “The production and economic investment is now happening sooner rather than later, and obviously, the project is a certainty rather than merely a possibility.”
Mark Wahlberg is set to return for Transformers 5, which Paramount said it will release on June 23, 2017.
