The Oscar-nominated film “Oppenheimer” is among several notable motion pictures and television shows this 2024 awards season that were made in New Jersey, shining a spotlight on the Garden State’s growing film industry, state officials say.
“Oppenheimer,” a thriller based on the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb, included scenes that were filmed at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
“New Jersey’s film industry continues to grow momentum as more and more major productions choose our state to film,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “From the Oscars, Emmy’s, and Golden Globes to the Sundance Film Festival, productions filmed in New Jersey are making headlines.”
“Oppenheimer” and nearly 150 productions to date have been attracted to New Jersey by the state’s Film Tax Credit Program, which offers eligible production companies up to 35% transferrable tax credit on qualified film production expenses, plus an additional 2% or 4% diversity bonus for qualified productions. Since the revival of the tax credit program, production has been booming in the Garden State, providing opportunities for thousands of businesses, residents, and filming locations, NJEDA says.
“Oppenheimer,” which is an NJEDA Film and Digital Tax Credit project, has 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), and Best Director (Christopher Nolan). The blockbuster has already grossed $954 million at the box office worldwide and received five Golden Globe awards, including Best Motion Picture, on Jan. 7. The Oscar winners will be announced at the Academy Awards on March 10.
Other productions made in New Jersey have also won major accolades this awards season including the HBO hit-television drama “Succession,” which received an Emmy and two Golden Globe awards. Extensive filming for the fourth and final season of the show took place at CNBC Studios and the NBCUniversal Technology Center in Englewood Cliffs and Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival last weekend featured seven productions filmed in New Jersey, including locations in Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic and Union counties.
Three other 2024 Oscar-nominated films include New Jersey-born actors or producers: “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things,” and “The Holdovers.”
Actor Peter Yorn, who grew up in Montville, is a cast member of “Killers of the Flower Moon” and his brother, Rick Yorn, is the executive producer of that film, which has garnered 10 Oscar nominations. Thelma Schoonmaker, a Ridgewood native, was also nominated for film editing.
Ramy Youssef, originally from Rutherford, starred in “Poor Things,” which received 11 Oscar nominations. “The Holdovers,” received five Oscar nominations, and stars Dominic Sessa, an Atlantic County native who grew up in Ocean City and Egg Harbor Township.
Photo caption: (L-R) Actors Tom Conti, as Albert Einstein, and Cillian Murphy, as J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the Oscar-nominated film “Oppenheimer” in a scene filmed at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. – Photo Credit Universal Pictures.
