8/7/2014
By Ivan Pereira
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have saved New York from aliens, robots and ninjas for years, and their latest adventure supercharged the Big Apple’s economy.
The big budget reboot, which opens Friday, spent $55 million, including $30 million on salaries and $3.2 million on taxes, when filmed throughout the city, Long Island and upstate last year. More than 1,500 New York State residents worked on the movie. The movie helped motels, craft shops and other businesses who helped with the filmmaking.
“This is a big win for New York — the Ninja Turtles are an iconic brand and shooting the movie across upstate, New York City and Long Island generated tens of millions in spending at local businesses,” Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams said in a statement.
New York has seen a surge in big-budget TV and film productions after the state enacted a 30% tax break for film crews in 2009.
“‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ displays New York’s top qualities and the local economies reaped the benefits,” said Chris Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.
