Feature Films Lured by Hawaii's 15-20% Tax Credit

Hawaii has long been a magnet for TV shows, reality series, commercials, and music videos, but rare is the feature film in the islands (with notable exceptions, of course, such as "Jurassic Park," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "Pearl Harbor").

But thanks to the new 15-20% refundable production tax credit, feature films are rediscovering Hawaii. Among the recent features that have been lured by the tax credit is "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End," which took in a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend gross of $142 million. The blockbuster's 6-day haul to date is estimated at $401 million. The third installment of the popular Disney franchise shot just one scene in one day in Hawaii, and was the first feature film to take advantage of Hawaii's new 15-20% tax credit.

Next came Universal's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," a "romantic disaster movie" written by and starring Jason Segel ("Freaks and Geeks"), starring Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars"), and produced by Judd Apatow ("40-Year Old Virgin"), which is slated for release next year.

Supposedly on its way to Kauai this summer is the Ben Stiller-helmed comedy "Tropic Thunder."

And finally, rumors are swirling about the upcoming production of the long overdue "Indiana Jones IV" starring Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf. According to CHUD.com, the sequel will be shooting in the L.A. area, Connecticut, New Mexico and, lo and behold, Hawaii. Of the four locations, California is the only one that does not have a tax incentive for film production.

>> ‘Pirates’ Haul So Far Estimated at $401 Million [NY Times, 5/29/07]
>> The Aloha allure [The Hollywood Reporter, 5/22/07]
>> Feel the ‘Tropic Thunder’ [The Garden Island, 5/3/07]
>> Grease is the Word for Indy Jr. [CHUD.com, 5/20/07]

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