‘Silver Linings Playbook’ Team Gets the Brad Pitt Boot for Abscam Movie

World War Z, that Brad Pitt movie no one saw, was set in Philadelphia and was going to be filmed in Philadelphia, which is always a boon for the city, whether on the jobs front or on the HughE Dillon front. But the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania torpedoed the project by dilly-dallying on the tax break so the filmmakers took the movie to Glasgow where a fake Philadelphia was created, and no one here got to stalk Brad Pitt.

Now it’s happening again. David O. Russell, director of Silver Linings Playbook, is making a movie about the Abscam scandal, which even more than Silver Linings, merits a Philadelphia film set. The story of corruption that involved Philadelphia politicians, Russell’s Abscam movie will star Bradley Cooper, formerly of Jenkintown, and Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence. From NewsWorks:

The state of Pennsylvania will not offer the filmmakers tax credits to the tune of $4 million as requested. The state has an annual film tax credit cap of $60 million, and it has already reached that limit.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development did offer the filmmakers a partial tax credit, conditional on future budget negotiations. The filmmakers declined the offer.

Sharon Pinkenson’s response? “A conditional commitment means they will conditionally make a movie, meaning they won’t.” You tell ’em.