CINCINNATI — How much money should city government spend on Timothee Chalamet?
Producers working on the "Little Women" actor’s upcoming Cincinnati-shot film, “Bones and All,” are petitioning City Council to allocate $50,000 to their security needs for the remainder of production.
Transport vehicles associated with the film have been broken into and guns have been stolen since production began in the first week of June. The burglaries caused thousands of dollars in damage, producer Theresa Park told City Council on Wednesday.
She views the $50,000 ask as one that’s offset by the amount of money film productions like this one bring to Cincinnati. Working in partnership with Film Cincinnati, a group that advocates for directors to shoot in the area, “Bones and All” has employed local workers, rented equipment from local businesses and put up its staff in local hotels.
"We are spending millions and millions of dollars in Cincinnati,” she said. “The vast majority of our $16 million budget is going to this city and its environs and local vendors in the form of payroll taxes, in terms of hotel rooms.”
A University of Cincinnati study found the film industry had a local economic impact of nearly $80 million in 2017 and 2018. And Film Cincinnati has fought hard to bring high-profile productions such as “Bones and All,” starring young Hollywood favorite Chalamet and helmed by “Call Me By Your Name” director Luca Gudagnino, to the area.
Park, the producer, said production approached the Cincinnati Police Department after the thefts — but CPD officers can’t work the extra security without getting paid for the overtime.
City Council has not yet voted on whether to grant the requested funds.
