Does it disappoint you to know the Netflix hit series “House of Cards” isn’t filmed in D.C.? Apparently it’s frustrated Foggy Bottom’s representative on the D.C. Council.
Jack Evans, who is also vying for the Democratic nomination for mayor in the spring, is calling on the city to fork over $25 million so it can bring back a film inventive fund that’s been out of commission for years.
That sum would be much more than what the fund, which was exhausted after doling out $2 million for the 2010 romantic comedy “How Do You Know,” ever held when it was active.
TV shows such as “House of Cards” and “Veep,” both set in D.C., are now filmed in Baltimore, while political thriller “Homeland” is shot in Charlotte, N.C.
“We have as much to offer as Baltimore,” Evans told the Washingtonian. “There’s no reason we can’t do that.”
But Baltimore has been more friendly to filmmakers, the Washingtonian reported, offering tax credits to production companies and gaining thousands of jobs for local electricians, carpenters and cameramen in return.
Producers for “House of Cards” originally aimed to film in D.C., but the city said it didn’t have the money to hire residents to work on the show or cover hotel stays for cast and crew.
The first season of “House of Cards” generated almost $150 million in economic activity and thousands of jobs. Maryland now boasts a film incentive fund of $22.5 million.
Evans could face an uphill battle as a proposal to revive the District’s fund last year fell flat. Council member Vincent Orange, who is also running for mayor, put forward a plan to pay for the fund by taking a slice of money from grants to real-estate contractors. Evans is instead proposing to fund the program with sales tax revenue.
He could also come up against resistance for the past program’s track record. For every dollar the city gave to “How Do You Know,” which ended up flopping at the box office and with critics, it got back 18 cents.