State Hasn’t Lost Profits--Yet : Nevada Fears Trickle-Down Impact of Writers’ Strike

The writers’ strike hasn’t hurt the amount of film work done in Nevada yet, but the trickle-down effect may soon mean millions of dollars in lost revenue to the state until new scripts are written, the Economic Development Commission was told recently.

“There has been no impact from the writers’ strike during our last quarter, which has been one of the busiest ever, particularly in northern Nevada,” said Robin Holabird, assistant to the director of the state’s Motion Picture Division.

“But now there are fewer things on line. The multimillion-dollar movies right now are suffering. . . . During the next quarter some of the numbers might be down.”

Nevada was ranked No. 8 in the nation last year for the $44 million film and TV production work brought into state coffers. The state was No. 10 in 1986 and made $27 million from films and TV.

The revenue surge was attributed in part to the filming of two TV series in the state, “High Mountain Rangers” at Lake Tahoe and “Crime Story” in Las Vegas.

Both of those series have been canceled, although CBS has left options open for a return of “High Mountain Rangers,” Holabird said.

The cancellations translate into a possible $16-million revenue loss, she added.

Still, Holabird said several projects that were prepared before the writers’ strike are nearing production in Nevada.

“Rainman,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, is scheduled to begin filming at Pahrump and Blue Diamond in southern Nevada later this month, she said.

The TV series “Bonanza: The Next Generation” has been delayed from its planned July shooting near Lake Tahoe to a tentative October start pending the outcome of the strike.

A low-budget film called “Far From Home” is scheduled to begin production in Nevada soon, Holabird said.