Inside a riverfront bar in this rural town 60 miles northwest of New Orleans, the cast and crew of “Road House 2” are shooting the sequel to the 1989 movie that starred Patrick Swayze as a tough-as-nails bouncer.
In between takes, Rafford Caston rests on a log outside the bar and reflects on his newfound good fortune: Out of work since Hurricane Katrina left his New Orleans home under 6 feet of water, he landed a job this month driving a truck for the film production.
“It’s a really good job, with good pay,” said Caston, 61. “This is the only thing keeping me sane.”
Tax incentives made Louisiana a popular Hollywood destination before Katrina, and state officials say the speedy return of movies and television shows that their film industry has weathered the hurricane.
Last year, more than two dozen film and television productions created 3,000 jobs and spent a total of $375 million in Louisiana – up from $20 million in 2001, the year before it started offering tax credits ranging from 10 to 20 percent.
This year, state officials expect to exceed last year’s numbers even though Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced some filmmakers to suspend production or find alternate locations.
No major productions are filming in New Orleans, and it could be months before the city is capable of hosting one. However, the makers of the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced thriller “Deja Vu,” starring Denzel Washington as a time-
traveling FBI agent, are in talks with the state to begin filming in and around New Orleans in February.
Barry Waldman, the movie’s executive producer, said the filmmakers don’t want to strain city resources during the massive rebuilding effort: “We’re very reliant on the places we go for so many support services.”
