The Netflix original film Point Blank , directed by Joe Lynch and starring Frank Grillo, Anthony Mackie and Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, will be shot here beginning Aug. 6. It is being co-produced by Cincinnati native Johanna Byer, who met the executive director of Film Cincinnati, Kristen Schlotman, on the set of Traffic here in 2002 and has stayed in touch.
The other producers are Grillo and Joe Carnahan (who has directed such movies as Narc, Smokin' Aces and The A-Team). According to a Film Cincinnati press release issued following a Tuesday press conference, “Point Blank tells the story of the unlikely pairing of Paul, an emergency room nurse, and Abe, a wrongly accused crime suspect, as they are pitted against gangsters and corrupt police in a deadly race through Cincinnati to save the lives of Paul’s kidnapped wife and unborn son."
“We are over the moon to host such an extraordinary project,” Schlotman said “The screenplay was re-written to be set in Cincinnati because we are welcoming home Cincinnati native, Producer Johanna Byer.”
Cincinnati has a long history of being featured in gritty action movies. One of the greatest film noir movies ever, 1950's The Asphalt Jungle, shot exteriors here. You can read CityBeat's story about it here.
Those interested in being extras in Point Blank should email a resume and head shot to [email protected]
The motion picture tax incentive returns $2.10 into the Ohio economy for every $1 invested by the incentive, the press release said. To learn more about the Film Cincinnati and its upcoming projects, casting calls or employment opportunities, visit www.filmcincinnati.com.
