‘Leverage’ returns to Oregon for third season

Television series attracted to Portland’s ‘environment and spirit’

The Portland Tribune, Sep 23, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Courtesy of TNT

“Leverage” cast members, from left, Beth Riesgraf, Christian Kane, Gina Bellman and Timothy Hutton will return early next year to film the television series’ third season in Portland. Cast member Aldis Hodge is not pictured.

“Leverage” is making an encore appearance in Portland. Or the other way around.

The TNT television series announced this week that it would return in early 2010 to Oregon to shoot its third season.

“What we have come to love about Portland is that the city has everything to offer that a big city can offer, but Portland still has the heart and soul of a small town,” said Dean Devlin, executive producer with Electric Entertainment. “It’s this environment and spirit that makes Portland a great place to produce a series like ‘Leverage.’ ”

“Leverage” stars Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton in a drama about a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who take revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. The series is produced by Devlin (“Independence Day,” TNT’s “The Librarian”), John Rogers (“The Cosby Show”) and Chris Downey (“The King of Queens”).

The TNT series came to Portland in early 2009 to film its second season. Filming began in the spring in Portland and other regional locations.

Devlin said the show was returning to Portland primarily because of the $7.5 million annual Oregon Production Investment Fund provided rebates to production companies, helping the state compete for film and television projects.

Vince Portland, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Film and Television, said the fund helped to “develop and grow the local film industry” and put people to work.

“Millions of dollars are spent in the state when productions film in Oregon,” Porter said. “In this year alone ‘Leverage’ recorded nearly 100,000 hours worked by Oregon residents who were employed by the production.”

Recent films recruited through the fund rebate program include CBS Film’s “Untitled Crowley Project” and Summit Entertainment’s popular vampire series “Twilight.”

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