Virginia Envies Maryland's Hollywood Status

Maryland has gained a toehold in Hollywood as the filming base for “Veep” and “House of Cards,” both recent Golden Globe nominees.

In an effort to lure film and TV production to neighboring Virginia, a lawmaker is proposing a big boost in film tax credits, reports the Washington Business Journal. The legislation would increase an existing tax credit from 15 percent to 20 percent — and up to 25 percent when the production is filmed in an “economically distressed” area, the news site says.

Maryland is home to HBO’s “Veep” and Netflix’s “House of Cards." The new season of "House of Cards” launches in February online, and will feature scenes from Annapolis, Patch earlier reported. The cast and crew filmed in Annapolis in June, primarily at the Maryland State House, which is being used as a makeshift U.S. Senate Chamber.

During the 2013 session, the Maryland General Assembly increased its incentive package to $25 million a year, the Business Journal reports.

While Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” was filmed mostly in Virginia, as were scenes in the Tom Hanks movie “Captain Phillips," production companies seek the most financially advantageous place to film, and Maryland has an edge, the Business Journal says.