‘Argo’ packs a $31-million production punch in L.A. area

“Argo,” the CIA caper film starring and directed by Ben Affleck, spent $31 million in the Los Angeles region in 2011, Warner Bros. said.

The movie, which tells the dramatic story of CIA agent Tony Mendez’s plot to rescue six American workers during the Iranian hostage crisis, cost $44 million to make, after a $6.4-million California film tax credit.

Most of that money was spent locally during the 14-week shoot. Ten weeks were filmed in the L.A. area (the remainder of the filming took place in Turkey and Washington, D.C. ) between August and November 2011., including such locations as the Veterans Affairs medical building in North Hills, a mansion in Hancock Park and the Ontario International Airport.

Of the $31 million, more than half of the outlay ($18.9 million) was spent on local hires: 157 cast members, 732 crew members and 3,326 extras, Warner Bros. said in an analysis of expenditures obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Other big-ticket expenditures included $475,747 on catering and other food items, $441,663 on construction and lumber supplies, $401,738 on local wardrobe items, $1.4 million for location fees, $210,053 in hotel and housing costs, and $182,156 on gasoline. The tally for dry cleaning: $71,037.

“Argo” has had a decent showing at the box office since its release on Oct. 12, garnering nearly $27 million in ticket sales.

The detailed expenditure report is the latest effort by Warner Bros. to track what it spends on the local economy. The studio recently began disclosing such data as part of an effort to better inform local politicians and the public about the value of the entertainment industry to the local economy at a time when L.A. is struggling to keep productions from chasing more advantageous film tax credits and rebates in other states.

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