Showtime To Film Presidential Thriller In Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The premium cable network Showtime will be using numerous sites across Maryland to replicate the nation's capital city for shooting the pilot episode of a potential new series called The President is Missing. The pilot is based on the 2018 novel by the same title, which tells the story of an American president and a secret, world-threatening crisis. Filming is expected to begin in the state in early 2020.

“We are thrilled that Showtime will shoot the pilot for The President is Missing in Maryland, and we are hopeful that it will become another successful series for our state,” said Gov. Larry Hogan in a statement. “Maryland offers an outstanding destination for filming, with a highly-skilled crew base, talented actors, and a variety of locations that can easily double as our nation’s capital.”

If The President is Missing is selected to become a full series, the Maryland Film Office – an agency of the Maryland Department of Commerce – believes it could have a similar impact on Maryland’s economy as the Netflix series House of Cards. During its six seasons of production in Maryland, House of Cards had a total economic impact of $700 million, hired more than 2,000 Maryland residents per season, and utilized more than 2,000 Maryland businesses with purchases or rented goods/services per season.

“The President is Missing could provide an incredible impact on Maryland’s economy if it becomes a Showtime series, including the potential for new jobs and additional revenue for local businesses throughout the region,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz in a statement. “We look forward to working with the network as they produce their pilot in Maryland next year.”

Since inception of the tax credit program in 2011, Maryland has incentivized 13 productions that employed thousands of residents, utilized a similar amount of local small business and generated an economic impact of nearly $900 million in the state.

The President is Missing will star David Oyelowo, who received a NAACP Image Award for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma and also starred in the biographical drama A United Kingdom, the thriller Jack Reacher and the BBC television mini-series Les Misérables. It will be executive produced by Christopher McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for his screenplay The Usual Suspects, and wrote and directed Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout; Heather McQuarrie; and co-executive produced by Jillian Share for Invisible Ink Productions. Bill Clinton, James Patterson, Bill Robinson, Leopoldo Gout and Anthony Peckham will also executive produce, with Peckham writing the script.

The novel, a collaboration between author James Patterson and former President Bill Clinton, topped The New York Times Best Sellers list shortly after its release and has sold more than 2.3 million copies across North America.