BALTIMORE (March 11, 2011) — Governor Martin O'Malley today announced that HBO will shoot the film Game Change in Maryland this spring. The film is estimated to create jobs for approximately 160 local production crew and 1,800 local actors and extras.
Game Change follows John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, from his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to their ultimate defeat in the general election. Based on the bestselling book of the same name by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the film is directed and executive produced by Jay Roach and written and co-executive produced by Danny Strong, whose previous collaboration was HBO’s Emmy Award winning film, Recount. The 2008 film also earned an Emmy and DGA Award for Roach and an Emmy nomination and WGA Award for Strong.
Game Change will star Academy Award nominated actress Julianne Moore as Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
HBO and Maryland have had a long and successful relationship. HBO recently wrapped shooting the pilot episode for the series VEEP in Maryland. Previous award-winning HBO productions that were filmed in Maryland include Shot in the Heart, Something the Lord Made, The Corner and The Wire.
“HBO produces the highest quality and most-acclaimed films and series on television. The talent involved in Game Change once again proves their commitment to entertainment excellence. We are very pleased to welcome HBO back,” said Governor O'Malley.
“We’ve had great experiences filming in Maryland,” said HBO Films president Len Amato. “The state offers a strong local base of talented crew and actors, and we are very grateful for the generous cooperation of the Governor and the Film Office.”
The Maryland Film Office, located in Baltimore and part of the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, is an agency of the state's Department of Business and Economic Development. It provides location scouting and pre-production research, in addition to acting as a government and community liaison throughout film production. For more information, visit www.marylandfilm.org.
Source: Office of Governor Martin O'Malley