Puerto Rico Becomes New Moviemaking Hotspot

By Michael Lopez

Look a little closer the next time Johnny Depp’s swashbuckling through the Caribbean or George Clooney’s trekking though the Middle East. The exotic backdrop you’re seeing on the big screen may in fact be Puerto Rico. Recently top Hollywood studios have taken a major liking to the island and are using it to film some of their most high-profile projects.

Image : SSC

Big-budget flicks like The Losers, George Clooney’s The Men Who Stare At Goats, and Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides have all taken advantage of Puerto Rico’s gorgeous scenery. With its tropical beaches, urban landscapes, and vast mountains, the island can double for just about anywhere.

Of course, it’s not just the views that have gotten the big studios so excited. Puerto Rico also happens to offer some of the best tax breaks of any U.S. jurisdiction. And according to island film commissioner, Mariella Pérez Serrano, that is a MAJOR determining factor.

“Tax-credit programs have become the determining factor in deciding where to shoot, and ours is very aggressive. The more they spend in Puerto Rico, the more they get back."

Not only that, the environment of Puerto Rico appears to be very safe and hassle-free. The popular HBO series Eastbound & Down has its current storyline set in Mexico, but with that country’s escalating violence, the producers decided to pull a Jo Bros and take their business elsewhere.

So far this year, seven films have been shot on the island and many more are on the way. There have even been rumors about top celebs like J. Lo and Marc Anthony investing in the construction of large Puerto Rican soundstages.

The Hollywood boom has been helping the Puerto Rican economy as well. The massive film crews spend tons on island businesses and even hire local caterers and prop assistants for their shoots.

So if many of the locals are now getting their first taste of Hollywood, could we expect some exciting homegrown productions in the near future? According to leading Puerto Rican economist, Juan Lara, that should be one of the larger game plans for the island.

"It is a good idea to attract stateside movie makers to the island, but our end goal should be to develop good local productions that can play around the world and make money for local talent.”

Sounds to us like Wisin y Yandel: The Movie may be getting the greenlight sooner than we thought!

Source: [Fox News Latino]

Who are your favorite Puerto Rican movie stars? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Cultura, Movies, Movies & CineMás, Puerto Rico, Television