Could Soaring Crime Cause Hollywood to Stop Filming in Louisiana?
It's all fun and games until criminals start ripping off the film crews...
WWLTV.com reports that over 20 background actors and crewmembers working on the set of Renfield in New Orleans returned from a night shoot on the morning of Wednesday, February 9, 2022, to find their vehicles broken into and vandalized.
Will Louisiana's mounting crime problem become a deterrent when Hollywood is scouting for filming locations? I sure hope not! The New Orleans Police Department is investigating the burglaries, but it's unlikely they'll find the culprits. To add insult to injury, the lot where the vehicles were parked in the Lower Garden District was supposed to be secure.
According to WWLTV.com, there have been 941 vehicles burglaries alone in New Orleans so far this year.
While crime has never seemed to deter tourists coming in for Mardi Gras, the big movie and tv studios have more on the line than a tourist in town on a weekend stay. That includes millions of dollars invested as well as the safety of their big-name actors like Nicholas Cage, the star of Renfield. I can't imagine and don't want to imagine what the headlines would be like if a major star was attacked. Plus, investors might not want to contribute funds to a project filming in a high crime location.
One thing is for sure. Crime is costing Louisiana residents statewide. When are we going to put our foot down?
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