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Aug. 11, 2026 ~ Marie Osborne, WJR’s director of community affairs and news, has her latest America 250 piece on the film incentive.
MICHIGAN ~ In 2008, Michigan was ready for its close-up.
From 2008 to 2015, Michigan offered one of the most generous film tax incentives in the country, with rebates reaching up to 42% of in-state production costs. Some experts said the timing could not have been better. It was right as the automotive crisis left Michigan with vacant factories and warehouses, which were quickly repurposed into sound stages and production hubs.
Detroit, Pontiac, and other communities suddenly found themselves hosting major Hollywood crews, WJR’s Marie Osborne said. Major films such as Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” Michael Bay’s “Transformers,” and Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It.”
In 2008 alone, 32 films were shot in Michigan, a record-setting year. It signaled the state’s arrival as a major production destination. But after critics questioned the long-term return and investment for years, the incentives were eliminated entirely in 2025.
“Whether it was giant robots tearing through Detroit or superheroes battling in the shadow of the Michigan Central Station, the movies made during this period captured the grit, the beauty, and, of course, the spirit of Michigan,” Osborne said. “And for a few unforgettable years, Hollywood truly lived here.“
