| Market |
Score |
Incentive |
Assessment |
New Orleans, LA |
84
/100
|
40% base (2026 expanded program) |
40% Louisiana motion picture credit (2026 expanded program)
Extremely deep action genre crew infrastructure — multiple major tent poles base here annually
Hurricane season June-November — Q1 2027 shoot avoids this entirely
Summer heat and humidity a non-factor at Q1
|
Puerto Rico |
77
/100
|
40% Puerto Rico Film Tax Credit |
40% Puerto Rico Film Tax Credit — fully competitive with Louisiana
Unique Caribbean coastal aesthetic unavailable elsewhere domestically
Logistics complexity — cast, crew, and equipment must be transported by air
Limited stage space for interior builds — primary stages still limited post-2017
|
New Orleans handles principal photography — 32 days covering interior builds, warehouse action, bayou sequences, and city-based scenes. Puerto Rico handles 14 days of coastal, marina, and highway action. This split maximizes both incentive programs and keeps the most logistically complex work (marine stunts, vehicular pursuit) in Puerto Rico''s environment while grounding the production in Louisiana''s superior infrastructure. Both incentive programs can be accessed simultaneously with proper co-production structuring.
Recommended Budget
$9.5M
Per-Day Rate
$165,000/day
Above the Line
$1,900,000
Below the Line
$5,700,000
Post Production
$1,050,000
Contingency
$850,000
-
Marine Stunt Sequences
Boat pursuit and waterfront action requires specialized marine stunt coordinators, safety divers, coast guard coordination, and significant weather windows. Budget 2-3 dedicated marine stunt days in Puerto Rico. This is the highest-risk production element.
High
-
Vehicular Pursuit Work
Caribbean coastal highway pursuits require road closures, insert cars, and precision driving. Puerto Rico highway authorities have a reasonable track record with productions but require significant lead time and local relationships.
High
-
Dual-Jurisdiction Production
Operating across Louisiana and Puerto Rico means two permit regimes, two incentive applications, two local crew structures, and air freight logistics. A seasoned production coordinator with island experience is non-negotiable.
Medium
-
Action Sequence Density
A DEA action thriller with vehicular, marine, and gunplay elements across 46 shoot days is a significant coordination challenge. Pre-vis every major set piece. Lock the stunt coordinator and second unit director in pre-production, not during.
High
| Location |
Rate |
Estimated Savings |
Complexity |
Eligible Costs |
New Orleans Louisiana |
40% |
$1,520,000 |
Moderate |
Louisiana resident wages, Louisiana vendor and equipment rental, Set construction materials purchased in-state, Practical location fees for Louisiana properties, Post-production services performed in Louisiana |
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico |
40% |
$1,120,000 |
Moderate |
Puerto Rico resident wages, Local vendor and equipment spend, Location fees for Puerto Rico properties, Qualified production expenditures per PR Film Commission guidelines, Accommodation and per diem for cast/crew with Puerto Rico nexus |
complexity · High Risk
Marine stunt sequences in open Caribbean waters represent the single highest execution risk on the project. Weather delays, coast guard coordination failures, and equipment logistics can cascade into significant budget overruns.
Mitigation: Add a dedicated marine coordinator to the pre-production team 10+ weeks before the Puerto Rico shoot. Build a minimum 2-day weather contingency into the PR schedule. Never plan marine stunts on the last available day.
budget · High Risk
Island logistics premium of 15-20% on all Puerto Rico spend can erode incentive gains if not pre-engineered. Air freight of specialized stunt equipment and vehicles alone can reach $150-200K.
Mitigation: Commission a dedicated Puerto Rico logistics budget from a local production services company before locking the overall budget. Maximize local spend to ensure incentive eligibility on all PR-based costs.
schedule · Medium Risk
Puerto Rico highway permit timelines are variable and local government relationships are relationship-dependent. First-time productions on the island face longer approval windows.
Mitigation: Engage a Puerto Rico-based fixer and production services company with established government relationships. Begin permit conversations 16+ weeks before the PR shoot window.
location · Medium Risk
The visual identity of both locations is plot-critical — there is no cheap substitute for Caribbean coastal highways. Any location failure in Puerto Rico collapses a significant portion of the narrative.
Mitigation: Lock 3-4 backup locations for every critical Puerto Rico set piece during the formal tech scout. Build visual redundancy into the production design so that no single location is irreplaceable.
budget · Low Risk
International lead attachment at this budget tier can drive above-the-line toward 22-25% of total spend, compressing below-the-line flexibility.
Mitigation: Cap talent above-the-line at $1.9M as budgeted. Use producer and director relationships to structure a backend participation deal that compensates for a reduced upfront quote.
📅
Best Season: Q1 — A January-March 2027 principal photography window is ideal for both markets. New Orleans in Q1 avoids hurricane season entirely and benefits from lower tourism congestion for permitting. Puerto Rico in February-March provides optimal weather conditions, avoids hurricane season, and keeps the coastal highway and marine sequences in the most predictable weather window of the year. A Q4 2027 or Q1 2028 release positions the film in a strong theatrical window for action genre.
-
01
Lock the international lead actor — this is the critical path item that unlocks sales agent conversations and gap financing.
-
02
Engage a Puerto Rico-based production services company to validate the island budget and logistics assumptions within 30 days.
-
03
File Louisiana incentive pre-certification immediately — the expanded 40% program has allocation rounds and early filing is advantageous.
-
04
Initiate Puerto Rico Film Commission conversations to establish the co-production relationship and understand current permit timelines.
-
05
Commission a detailed stunt and second unit budget from the stunt coordinator before locking the overall production budget — action sequence costs are the most common source of overrun at this tier.
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Consult directly with René Besson to act on this analysis — financing strategy, talent attachment, or production oversight.
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