| Kippreport.com

Cue evil Arabs

August 18, 2010 3:48 by Sam Potter

The papers are reporting that Mission: Impossible IV, the next installment of the Tom Cruise action franchise, may be filmed partly in Dubai. According to the National, executives from Paramount Pictures, the company behind the films, are in Dubai to discuss filming some of the movie here.
“I’ve heard they are in town and are scouting [for locations]. They are in serious discussions with [Dubai] Studio City,” said Ziad Batal, the executive producer at All 4 Media, a film and TV production company based in the UAE.
Looking at the first three Mission: Impossible films, it seems likely that the UAE would be one of a number of locations used in the film. No doubt it would please the National, since the article seems to lament the lack of major international blockbuster films made in the country, a fact Batal blames on the lack of incentives for film companies to come here.
The question for me is, what’s the benefit for Dubai? And if it’s not tangible, why should there be any incentives offered at all?
First the benefits. Some might argue that a major film set here would boost tourism, but let’s be honest: It’s not as if Dubai is a hidden gem. Everybody knows about Dubai, and most people only know it as a holiday destination. I doubt highly whether having Tom abseil down the Burj Khalifa will inspire world audiences to book a week at the Crowne Plaza.
Maybe it will provide jobs and investment. But I doubt it – a high spec film such as this is likely to bring virtually all its production team in with it, and once they’re done they’ll disappear. Benefits to the UAE production industry seem likely to be limited to the income from renting out studios, although given the “incentives” talk, don’t be surprised if they’re provided for free.

Pages: 1 2

Tags: arab stereotypes in movies, benefits of being a film location, mission impossible, mission impossible 4, mission impossible dubai, mission impossible filmed in dubai, mission impossible filmed in uae, mission impossible IV, mission impossible to film in dubai, mission impossible uae, new mission impossible, next mission impossible, tom cruise in dubai