Transformers 2 filming in Philadelphia
It would seem that Philadelphia is bragging about its lineup of movies to be filmed in their little town including Transformers 2.
“The film industry is [an] increasingly lucrative [thing] for government to embrace,” says Pinkenson. “We already have a reputation as the most cooperative and film-friendly city in the business. Having these tax incentives adds to our attraction. Right now, we’re looking at applications for six to eight films to begin in June, and more to follow.”The not-so-top-secret list includes Remorse, Three Sistas, Shyamalan’s Avatar series, a film based on Marley and Me and possibly Transformers 2.
Now I have to challenge this claim of “the most cooperative and film friendly city in the business” as I think this is a little bit of an advertisement within a statement. All advertisements will claim that they are more durable yet softer than the leading kitten brand.
Personally I think they are trying to lure some business their way from the REAL most film friendly city in the world. Toronto Ontario Canada. As a former courier that worked the downtown core of Toronto, I have to say that if the repeatedly closed streets and lines of Craft Services trailers and crews were any indication, they would have approximately six to eight movies a WEEK in Toronto.
Producers LOVE Toronto. It looks enough like an American city that they can take shots of it and CGI the Empire State Building in the background and you wouldn’t know the difference. I knew the downtown core building by building and could often identify scenes shot in Toronto.
Am I happy that Transformers 2 is being filmed in Philly? Honestly I don’t care. I am just happy its being filmed. Period.
26 Comments, Comment or Ping
JAMIE
hey- better then LA right? it never maters were the movies are filmed i mean a lot of movies that take place in new york are filmed in LA and stuff so w.e.
as long as their filming it…
i wanna know whos in it though- like what transformers cuz- if their shooting- they already know the line up and i WANT to know which decepticons and autobots are in it
Mar 4th, 2008
GODFATHER
It says “possibly Transformers 2″ which indicates potential, not actuality. Sure there’s time before an actual decision is made, but personally, I’m hoping TF2 doesn’t hop around in locations as much as the first one did. Let’s just have them duke it out on Cybertron!
Mar 4th, 2008
DON
Most big budget movies shot in canada have gotten bad reviews and got a lot of shit from fanboys.
fantastic four 1 and 2, x3, resident evil, avp2 movies and bunch more.
The thing is that canadians get pissed when something is shooting in their city as lives become a bit hectic, roads close down and stuff.
People aren’t cooperative at all.
So it is good that a lot studios are trying to avoid it.
if JLA sucks big time then you know canada is the best choice for filmmakers to make mediocre fanboy driven movies.
Mar 4th, 2008
Brent Weichsel
Well this is great news I go to film school in Philly and this news is amazing. Now I just have to get working on these movies
Mar 4th, 2008
John Campea
Hey Don,
Actually, the one of the MANY reasons studios love filming in Canada is because of how accomodating the locals always are and how much the communities welcome them.
The list of great movies filmed in Canada is too long to mention… but if you want to talk Comic book movies… X-Men anyone?
Mar 4th, 2008
Scott
Its also the most dangerous city in America with the highest murder rate.
Mar 4th, 2008
JAMIE
@ scott
???
Mar 4th, 2008
Monty
Without the Allspark, the only thing the Autobots and Decepticons have left to fight over are Philly Cheesesteaks.
Mar 4th, 2008
digital drew
im from Philly. it doesn’t have the highest murder rate. wrong.
I cant imagine the transformer movie taking place here though… if it did i know a couple of guys who would have a geekgasm.
Mar 4th, 2008
JAMIE
Monty…
i wonder if that small leftover allspark optimus held in his hand will have anything to do in the 2nd movie- still if not there still is starscream leading the decepticons to earth to seek revenge and kiling humans for fun cuz- thats how they roll…
GODFATHER
i dont think that going to cybertron is a good idea cuz the awsome thing about transformers was the whole
f-22/robot chevy/robot helicopter/robot transformations and in cybertron there is no point in disguising cuz there are no humans- and when they do transform its into the futuristic vehicles (like megatron)
Mar 4th, 2008
Kristina
I don’t think the whole movie takes place there. It probably starts with Sam away at college in Philly(though why he’d go to school in that shithole, God only knows why), but then the action moves back out west for plenty of lens flares, slo-mo sunsets, and loud stereotypical minorities.
Mar 4th, 2008
GODFATHER
Jamie
That’s a great point. I didn’t think of that. The transformations are why we’re there. You are correct, sir.
Mar 4th, 2008
DON
John tell me some more comic book or fanboy driven movies that were entirely shot in Canada in the past 3-4 years that got good reviews and fanboys were satisfied with.
x-men & x2 definitely were shot their and and were good movies but lately every fanboy driven movies shot there somehow end up sucking which is unfortunate.
Hopefully hulk 2 breaks that curse.
Mar 4th, 2008
crackerjack
I am stupid to post on this, but I know people on the production and haven’t heard one word about Philly. Shia’s character is going to school in Jersey, there will be some scenes in Egypt, but as for Philly, sounds like they are boasting before anything real is a done deal. As far as the most Film friendly city, that is still L.A. Like it or not, though expensive, it is still the place for film and television. Next on the list as far as breaks would be New Mexico. They are stealing alot of business. Then maybe Canada, maybe. Even though also quite expensive, New York is still getting plenty of business. Austin, Texas is doing pretty well too. But really no one is doing more film and television than L.A. and New York. So far.
Mar 4th, 2008
JAMIE
ok i just hope barricades back cuz hes my fav transformer (im still 99% sure he didnt die in the 1st movie)
i dont care were its filmed
and hopefully they wont make them unrecognizable like megatron- who the designers just slaped metal all over his body cuz they were too lazy to make him right (or at least thats what it looked like)i know we all agree on the whole “change the characters from the comic book to the big screen” but not THAT much
he looked like a bionicle threw up and the robo-puke ended up loking like 2 legs arms and a head
Mar 5th, 2008
AjaxLou
Are there people in this movie?!?!? I thought the Transformers was about robots?
Mar 5th, 2008
Rodney
Just because there may be sets in Philly doesnt mean that it will take PLACE in Philly. They can say its Jersey and still just use a part of a city street.
They made a street in Hamilton look like Queens for the Hulk, and every movie in Toronto is not set in Toronto.
Mar 5th, 2008
calviin
Well, I live in Philly and work in Jersey, so if there is filming in either one, I’ll see what I can do about getting some pictures or anything like that for ya, John.
Mar 5th, 2008
JAMIE
yeah- pretty much every single superheroe movie that takes place in NY was shot in LA
AjaxLou
the moral of the comic book, show and movie was always with humans and machines and the whole “more then meets the eye” so yeah there are humans dude- mostly the relationship with bumblebee and sam and uptimus so yah
and it would tank if there were no humans- and all autobots have liek a human personality if you really pay attention
i like the whole military army thing they did in the movie it shows lik what it would be if it really did happen so it makes the movie better/more watchable then if its just robots
Mar 5th, 2008
Darren J Seeley
“and CGI the Empire State Building in the background and you wouldn’t know the difference”
Actually, most can. See, for some reason, most filmmakers or studios might take that action, but at the same time they won’t block off landmarks or places in Toronto. It’s usually an oversight or they hope no one notices.
*****
As for comic book themed movies not doing well when filmed in Canada, I disagree.
Austraila has more to worry about, haha.
****
I don’t know if Omptimus Prime comes to Philly; I don’t know if Bumblebee loiters around Flint,Michigan. All I know is…Transformers 2 is coming to a theatre near you.
That’s all I need to know.
Mar 5th, 2008
Rodney
Some cities have some sort of “landmark leakage” clause that puts SOMETHING in the picture that gives away where it was filmed but its usually something not so glaringly obvious.
It is intentional though its supposed to be discrete.
You don’t see the CN Tower in any movie that is supposed to be in NY.
Mar 5th, 2008
Ransom
Why is the post titled “Tranformers 2 Filming in Philadelphia,” when the news story clearly says “and possibly Transformers 2?”
These kinds of oversights are what propagate unsubstantiated rumors all over the net.
Mar 5th, 2008
Dylan
@ Kristina
I won’t stand for your slander, young woman. Only parts of Philly are shithole-ish.
Anyway, I love my adopted city, and if it scores Transformers 2, that’d be a major coup. We’re supposedly getting one (possibly 2) full-fledged movie studio(s).
Mar 5th, 2008
Kristina
@crackerjack
JERSEY?! Who the fuck wants to go to school there?! HA!
@Dylan
Philly’s a sphincter and you know it!
Mar 5th, 2008
Calviin
@Kristina
Kevin Smith does.
Mar 6th, 2008
JAMIE
@ krystina
HAHA!!!!! AHH SHIT HAHAHAHA ^^^^^^…thats riiich…
Mar 6th, 2008
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