The Utah Film Commission announced an independent film directed by Rob Reiner, veteran Hollywood director of “The Princess Bride,” will begin production in April. The production, “Being Charlie,” was written by Reiner's son, Nick.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) board approved a maximum tax incentive of $265,494, which represents 25 percent of dollars left in the state, through the Motion Picture Incentive Program. The film’s production company Domain Entertainment is currently in pre-production and plans to hire more than 100 cast and crew in the coming month.
The producer, Lucas Jarach, shot “Border Run” here in 2011 with Billy Zane and Sharon Stone, and in the process recreated a Mexican border town in downtown Salt Lake City.
“The state’s professional top-notch crews and artists, its world class infrastructure and the warmth of its people all make it one of my favorite locations to shoot,” Jarach said. “It’s ultimately why I’m returning to Salt Lake City with Rob Reiner’s new film ‘Being Charlie.’ The tax incentive program is also extremely attractive for independent producers.”
As a director, Reiner is best known for “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984), “Stand by Me” (1986), “The Princess Bride” (1987), “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989) and “A Few Good Men” (1992).
“We’re thrilled to have filmmaker Rob Reiner working on an independent production in Utah,” said Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission. “We’re equally excited to welcome Lucas Jarach back. We’ve found that once film clients discover Utah and all we have to offer in locations, talent and incentives, the clients become great ambassadors for our film industry.”
In addition to approval for the new Reiner project, Vineyard Productions has been approved for seasons 9 and 10 of the beloved BYU TV series “American Ride.” The show follows the history, culture and people of specific regions around the United States—all from the back of a Harley-Davidson. The board approved a maximum tax incentive of $302,906, which represents 25 percent of the dollars left in the state.
“While it’s certainly exciting for us to attract Hollywood veterans to the state, shows like ‘American Ride’ are homegrown productions that prove there’s amazing talent already here,” Pearce said. “We love to support local projects and look forward to increasing film opportunities overall in the state.”
