As the Michigan film incentive program finishes up, there are a few movies still coming to the state that had agreements before the curtains came down on the program. This one, “Looking For Alaska,” is based off the award winning book by author and YouTube star John Green.
There has been a lot of buzz about the cast, including rumors that singer Taylor Swift could join a cast that reportedly will include John D’Leo (“Unbroken”), Courtney Eaton (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) and Nicola Peltz (“Transformers: Age of Extinction).
Today it was confirmed that the Paramount Pictures production is eligible to receive an incentive of over $7 million from the Michigan Film Office (MFO) based on a projected spending of over $21 million with two-thirds to be spent directly with Michigan residents and Michigan-based vendors. Of the over 300 anticipated cast and crew hires, more than 200 are expected to be Michigan residents along with 1,718 extras among the local hires.
Directed by Rebecca Thomas (Electrick Children), the New York Times best-seller is being adapted for the screen by “The Fault in Our Stars” screenwriters Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber. They adapted “Looking for Alaska” after doing Green’s later novels “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns.”
Paramount as a studio has high hopes for “Alaska,” as “Fault” grossed more than $300 million and “Paper Towns” doubled its $12 million production budget after one weekend in release. “Looking for Alaska” is produced by Temple Hill’s Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen (“Paper Towns,” “Fault in Our Stars”), along with Mark Waters and Jessica Tuchinsky (“500 Days of Summer”).
Exact locations haven’t been nailed down yet, but will be in upcoming weeks. If you’re looking for work on the crew, we’re told to send your resume to lfafeature@gmail.com.