Everybody remain calm! Don't panic! All is well! It's only Hollywood stars walking the streets of DC as Josh Lucas comes to town to film his new TV show, The Firm.
This week, the mid-season replacement show based on the Tom Cruise movie will be shooting around the National Archives, Newseum and the State Department, according to the DC Office Motion Picture and Television Development.
If Mayor Vincent Gray has his way, you will have the chance to see even more Hollywood wonder on the streets of DC. Throughout the summer, Mayor Gray has been wooing television and film productions to bring their stories, sets and money to the District. Between a trip to Hollywood earlier in the summer and visits to the sets of the TV shows Covert Affairs and The Firm, Gray is putting the full court press on producers to see DC as a viable place to make Hollywood magic.
However, this is not for glamor or publicity photos with Hollywood stars (of course, I still do expect some of those to show up in Gray's campaign materials next time around). Film and TV production can be very healthy for the local economy. For example, a study of the impact of video and film production in Maryland in 2008 showed it was responsible for over 11,000 jobs, income of over $268 million and related business sales and activity of over $1.3 billion. You bet DC would like to get a piece of that pie.
