Film production in Philadelphia region poised for big year
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Actor Anthony Ippolito on set of "I Play Rocky" in November 2025 on the art museum steps. Photo: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty
The film industry in the Philadelphia region is gearing up for a busy year.
Why it matters: Expect to see more of Philly on the silver and small screens.
Driving the news: The region's packed calendar of big-ticket sporting events and America's 250th birthday programming is expected to boost film production here this year, Erin Wagner, co-executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, tells Axios.
🔮 The forecast: Production is likely to outpace last year's total.
👀 1 strong signal: A growing interest from international filmmakers looking to shoot in the region.
What they're saying: "The world has its eyes on Philadelphia this year," she said. "You're going to see a lot of small crews ... around Philadelphia."
By the numbers: 391 productions were reported in the region in 2025, including 18 feature films, per the Philly film office.
- Production spending: $109 million
- Economic impact: $229 million
The big picture: Philly is having a moment in film, TV, pop culture and politics.
- Just a few examples: A recent "Simpsons" featuring Philly; Eagles and "Go Birds"; Jason and Kylie Kelce's podcasts and growing empire; "Abbott Elementary" and HBO's "Task"; national schadenfreude around the art museum's name changes; and Gov. Josh Shapiro's presidential ambitions.
- "They like our attitude, we're no nonsense and we get stuff done. The world is now catching on," Wagner says about the Philly region.
Zoom in: The bulk of filming in the region last year was for television shows, including Netflix's "Tires" and Amazon Prime's "Reacher."
- Wagner says that reflects a post-COVID national trend: fewer people going to movies; more people bingeing TV shows at home.
Yes, but: Big-budget films were also spotted around the city, including the biographical drama "I Play Rocky" — about the making of "Rocky" — at the art museum steps and around Philly in November.
What else: The region has seen an uptick in independent filmmakers in recent years as film budgets overall have declined.
- The result: More filming in neighborhoods with smaller crews and trucks.
Follow the money: Pennsylvania tax credits for filming in the state — now at $100 million — are fueling a filming renaissance in the Commonwealth.
- Point in case: HBO's Delco crime drama "Task" got a nearly $50 million tax credit to shoot its second season here.
🍿 What we're watching this year:
- 📺 TV: New seasons of "Tires," Shane Gillis' West Chester-based comedy series, and Quinta Brunson's "Abbott Elementary."
- 🎞️ Movies: "I Play Rocky" and indie drama "Vivien & the Florist."