Oklahoma Lands Major Film Deal

Last Update: 3/04 6:13 pm

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The Oklahoma Film and Music Office, along with Killer Inside Me Productions LLC in conjunction with Muse Productions, Los Angeles and Revolution Films, London, U.K., recently announced that a new movie project will be filmed in Oklahoma.     The Killer Inside Me is a psychological thriller about a small town deputy sheriff named Lou Ford, based on a novel written by Jim Thompson. Thompson, who was born in Anadarko, Okla., has also written the novels The Grifters and The Getaway.   Jill Simpson, Director of the Oklahoma Film & Music Office stated, “We could not be more excited to have a film of this caliber shooting in Oklahoma. The majority of filming was initially slated for New Mexico. However, after the production team heard about our incentives and came in for a scout, we were able to land all but one location here in Oklahoma. It’s a real coup for us.”   The film will be directed by Michael Winterbottom who was the director of A Mighty Heart, the story based on the life of journalist Daniel Pearl, starring Angelina Jolie. The Killer Inside Me’s leading cast includes Jessica Alba as Joyce Lakeland, Kate Hudson as Amy Stanton, and Casey Affleck as Lou Ford. The film also stars Bill Pullman and Elias Koteas.   According to the film’s co-producer, Susan Kirr, "We scouted in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma over several months last fall. Although the film is set in West Texas, we determined that we could get the right look for the town in Guthrie, combining that with cityscapes in Oklahoma and Tulsa (doubling for Fort Worth). Jill Simpson and the Oklahoma Film Commission went over and above the call of duty in helping us to find the locations that would work best for the film. The generous incentives and the friendly nature of the people here all combined to make Oklahoma our choice for 85% of the principal photography of the film."   The film will employ cast, crew and extras from Oklahoma, and the production is based in Guthrie. Shooting is scheduled to begin in Oklahoma on March 30, 2009 and will take place around the towns of Guthrie, Oklahoma City, Cordell, Enid and Tulsa.   The producers for The Killer Inside Me will apply for the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program through the Oklahoma Film & Music Office. The rebate offers up to 15% cash back on Oklahoma expenditures to qualifying companies filming in the state. The Killer Inside Me is the second film to meet qualifications since the state’s rebate program was funded in 2005.   The Oklahoma Film & Music Office a division of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, works to attract film, television, video, and music industries to Oklahoma through an effort to promote and expand these values and interests within the state. The Film & Music Office is committed to providing critical support to filmmakers by assisting them with their production concerns. Additional information can be found at www.oklahomafilm.org.