CA tax credit lures 'Suits' spin-off from Vancouver, funds Woodley's Joplin film

California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program has allocated $39.6 million to three big-budget feature films and fifteen independent films, while another $12 million was awarded to a new television series through the Soundstage Filming Tax Credit Program.

Suits: LA, the spin-off from showrunner Aaron Korsh starring Robbie Amell, filmed its pilot in Vancouver, Canada with plans to shoot the remainder of the season there. However, upon receiving the Soundstage credit, Kors moved production to LA where it will begin filming later this year.

In a statement, Korsh said: "Being able to shoot here will be a huge part of the show’s authenticity" and will "provide employment for Los Angeles-based cast and crew who have been starving for opportunities at home."

The Universal Content Productions series is expected to spend $25 million in qualified wages and a total of $50.7 million in California-qualified expenditures and create over 2,600 new jobs in the state.

Additionally, among the 15 independent features to receive funding is a Janis Joplin biopic starring and produced by Shailene Woodley from Temple Hill LLC. 

Together, the fifteen features will spend $169.9 million in qualified California expenditures, with $61.6 million in qualified wages supporting 2,588 jobs for cast and crew and 12,354 background performers.

The three non-independent feature films to receive funds are the highly anticipated reboot Community – The Movie from Mesquite Productions, Inc. with executive producers Dan Harmon and Andrew Guest reuniting the original cast for this film adaptation of the series. TCS US Productions 34 Inc.’s Lullaby and an Untitled Screen Gems Project will also receive funding

Together, these three projects are expected to generate nearly $64 million in qualified California expenditures, including $32.5 million for California-based below-the-line workers, with $85 million in total spending (qualified and unqualified) across the state and employ 811 cast and crew members and 2,459 background performers.

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