Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell will star in "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer" which begins filming here next week, one of three major Hollywood movies here simultaneously under the local film commission's new "Film Cincinnati" branding.
Kristen Schlotman announced the Farrell film and a new name for the 29-year-old Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission Thursday.
She also said that Killer Films, which shot Oscar-nominated "Carol," Jessica Biel's "A Kind of Murder" and Nick Jonas' "Goat" here, has opened a Cincinnati production office to prepare shooting another movie in September.
John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston have been filming "The Life and Death of John Gotti" in Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton since July 27.
Schlotman said three more features will be shot and completed before Christmas -- although she could not provide any details -- making a total of 10 movies filmed here in 2016.
"This will be the biggest year for filming in the history of the Cincinnati film commission," she said.
It could have been 11. Director Steven C. Miller, who filmed "Marauders" here with Bruce Willis last fall, decided to shoot "First Kill" with Willis in Columbus because Cincinnati was too busy.
"We're doing three movies at one time, and Steven Miller didn't realize that we had these other projects. We suggested he look at Columbus," Schlotman said.
Filmmakers are coming to Ohio to take advantage of $40 million in state tax credits available in the new state budget effective July 1.
Kidman, wife of country singer Keith Urban, and Farrell will play a married couple in "Sacred Deer"for director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster"), according to Variety.
Schlotman, who celebrates her 20th anniversary at the film commission next year, says the new simplified name will make it easier for her office to promote the region. Answering phones as the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission "got people confused about our geography," she said.
The Film Cincinnati branding will make it easier to lure, promote and cultivate major and independent filmmakers, and television, video and commercial producers. It also "will allow us to expand partnerships with film festivals and universities," she said.
Several people at the Film Cincinnati announcement party Thursday at the old Warner Bros. film distribution building, 1600 Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine, praised Scholtman for her leadership in building Cincinnati's film scene.
In 2-1/2 years, since director Todd Haynes was filming "Carol" with CateBlanchett, Cincinnati has been able to handle three major productions at the same time.
"I want to get it to the point where we can do five at a time," Schlotman told me.
"It's going to happen. I know it's going to happen."
