COVID-19 Halts Hudson Valley Film Industry

The Hudson Valley was becoming a major location for filmmaking, but COVID-19 has stopped that for now.

The New York Times reports that filmmakers have been flocking to the Hudson Valley region for decades. The lure is the available land, old towns, abandoned warehouses, parks, and rustic locales. Over 500 movies have been made here in the last two decades These films have added over $250 million to our local economy. Just recently, Mark Ruffalo was filming a limited series for HBO.

But now, the COVID-19 pandemic is completely halting any new production. Hudson Valley Film Commission founder and director, Laurent Rejto, said that things could never be the same again. According to the New York Times, Rejto said that local productions are postponing start dates due to safety concerns. It's unclear when production will resume for projects.

Multiple productions were set to begin in the Hudson Valley that has now been postponed, according to the New York Times. a film called "The Hating Game" directed by Peter Hutchings was set to shoot in April at the Saugerties Performing Arts Factory but has had production delayed. In 2019, the Hudson Valley's film industry added $46 million in regional spending. This spending was over room rentals, production, scouting, location use, and local crew member jobs.

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