CINCINNATI — Actor John Travolta will begin shooting a new biopic in Cincinnati this month about famed New York mob boss John Gotti, the Greater Cincinnati Film Commission announced Wednesday.
Travolta will portray Gotti in “The Life and Death of John Gotti,” which begins filming July 25. Actress Kelly Preston, Travolta’s wife, will co-star in the film. Kevin Connolly, who portrays manager Eric Murphy in the “Entourage” franchise, will direct the production.
“We are thrilled to welcome the cast and crew of ‘The Life and Death of John Gotti’ to Cincinnati,“ said film commission executive director Kristen Erwin Schlotman. “This is just one of many productions we expect to take advantage of the state’s revised Motion Picture Tax Credit, giving producers more incentive to use our area’s unique architecture and pool of talented actors and crew.”
This month Ohio doubled the yearly cap for the tax incentive program, which reimburses out-of-state movie producers for payroll and other expenses, to $40 million.
“The Life and Death of John Gotti” joins other recently announced movies that will begin filming in Greater Cincinnati in the next two months. "Girl from Compton," a biopic chronicling the life of R&B singer Michel’le, began filming here in June. Director Steven C. Miller, who shot "Marauders" here last fall, said he plans to shoot a second film in Cincinnati starting in August.
Hollywood actor and producer James Franco, who previously filmed a movie in Butler County, also will return to the region by the end of this month to begin shooting two more movies. Franco shot both "Goat" and "The Long Home" here in the spring of 2015.
Anyone interested in being an extra on "The Life and Death of John Gotti" should send a head shot and contact information to gottiextras@gmail.com. Producers are also looking for looking for vehicles from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s for the movie, especially Buicks, Lincolns and Cadillacs. Anyone with a vehicle matching that description is asked to email gotticars@gmail.com.
Wednesday's announcement adds to the growing list of films, including Oscar-nominated “Carol,” “Miles Ahead,” “The Fits" and "Ides of March," that have been shot in Greater Cincinnati.
