Tri-City residents may notice some familiar background locations the next time they watch their favourite movie or television show.
Hollywood productions like Deadpool 2 and Bad Times at the El Royale as well as television shows like Arrow, Van Helsing, The Good Doctor and Legends of Tomorrow all shot in Coquitlam in 2018, generating thousands of dollars in revenue for the city.
“Our film office has been actively promoting and marketing Coquitlam’s film locations and as a result we are experiencing an increase in film inquiries,” said David Munro, the city’s manager of economic development. “Over the past five years, film revenues have been trending upwards as a result.”
Film permit revenue was $178,087 in 2018, up from the $137,291 in 2017. The best year on record was 2016, when $263,000 in permits were issued, however that was an exception because Princeton Park was rented for more than a month for the production of television series Wayward Pines.
Munro said the low Canadian dollar and provincial tax breaks have made B.C. an attractive place for Hollywood to locate. He noted that the province is already known as a film-friendly location and has unique labour force expertise.
He added that places like the Riverview Hospital grounds are a major asset on the radar of most Hollywood location scouts, making it one of the busiest film hubs in North America.
