SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – The beautifully scenic Utah is set to be the backdrop of a new episodic series and two new movies – one of which could be a new Marvel movie set to release in 2024.
The Utah Film Commission announced the approval of the three new productions on Thursday. One of the feature films is set to begin filming this summer in Emery County and Grand County.
The feature film is reportedly being produced by Brian Chapek, who is known for his roles as a producer for various Marvel films such as “Thor: Ragnarok”, “Thor: Love and Thunder”, and “Black Widow.” The Utah Film Commission said the movie is called “Oops All Berries.” The cereal-related movie title has been speculated as the working title for Marvel’s upcoming movie, “Thunderbolts,” though that has not been confirmed.
ABC4 reached out to the Utah Film Commission for confirmation the upcoming Marvel movie is being filmed in Southern Utah, however, a spokesperson said they are unable to confirm or comment further.
An all-star cast has been attached to the Marvel project, including Harrison Ford, Florence Pugh, David Habour, Sebastian Stan, and Steven Yuen. Thunderbolts is currently in production, according to its IMDB page, and is slated to release in theaters on July 26, 2024.
In a press release, Chapek said his team was looking to place their characters in as many practical locations as possible while creating a “more grounded, globe-trotting film.”
“With that directive in mind, we needed a location somewhere in the United States to serve as the setting for one of our film’s most important sequences,” said Chapek. “We looked at many options and found that Utah featured such a unique and impressive geography that we hadn’t seen before in a movie. The Utah locations we scouted felt untouched by the larger world, which made us very excited to shoot there.”
Locally, the Utah Film Commission approved the filming of “Destined at Christmas 2,” a sequel to 2022’s Great American Family film, “Destined at Christmas.” The holiday film is currently filming in Utah County, produced by Orem-based production company SIlver Peak Productions. The project is being directed and produced by local filmmaker Brittany Wiscombe.
“We love Utah’s film industry, businesses and people,” said Silver Peak Productions producer Brian Brough. “By filming in Utah, we’re able to find the hardworking crew, talented actors and beautiful locations to bring our movie to life.”
Finally, in Summit County, Paramount will begin filming an untitled episodic series. There aren’t many details released about the Paramount project, but it is expected to bring an economic impact of about $40 million Owner of Utah Film Studios Gary Crandall said he was thrilled Paramount is returning to Utah for a project and he was grateful to Utah for its continued support.
“We are excited to see a diversity of productions filming around the state and putting our talented crews and vendors to work,” said Utah Film Commission director Virginia Pearce.
Utah has long been a hotspot for film productions with movies and shows such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, “The Sandlot”, “127 Hours”, and HBO’s “Westworld” all filmed in the Beehive State
The three newest projects are expected to bring 1,700 new jobs to Utah with an economic impact of $45 million overall.
