Suits Originally Filmed In Toronto. The Million Dollar Reason Why The Spinoff Moved

Suits Originally Filmed In Toronto. The Million Dollar Reason Why The Spinoff Moved

As someone who has been following the world of television for the better part of three decades, I can confidently say that the decision to film “Suits L.A.” in Los Angeles instead of Toronto was nothing short of brilliant. The $12 million tax incentive from the California Film Commission was like a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for this production!


In no time at all, we’ll have the pleasure of adding another title to our 2024 TV lineup – the upcoming Stephen Amell-led series, “Suits L.A.” This fresh legal drama emerged due to the extraordinary popularity of Aaron Korsh’s original show, “Suits,” which aired on USA for nine seasons and gained immense streaming success on Netflix during the summer of 2023. Notably, the original series primarily filmed in Toronto, but its spinoff had a compelling reason to shoot in an entirely different location.

Why Isn’t Suits L.A. Filming In Canada?

In 2023, if you followed pop culture trends at all, chances are you recall that after the first eight seasons of Suits were added to one of the top streaming platforms, Netflix, it became a hot topic everywhere. The excitement was so intense that a spinoff by the creator of the original USA network series was quickly greenlit.

In early 2024, the television series “Suits L.A.” successfully filmed its pilot episode. Notably, Stephen Amell, who gained fame from his roles in “Arrow” and “Heels,” mentioned in March that he was leading the cast and this meant returning to Vancouver nearly twelve years after shooting the pilot for the CW superhero drama that propelled him to stardom.

After the new series got picked up by NBC and filming started for Season 1 in August, they relocated to the city known by its name, Los Angeles, California. This change from Canada to the U.S. was initiated due to the California Film Commission, which provided the production with approximately $12 million in tax incentives to shoot in California. (Source: IndieWire)

It seems to me that if the opportunity presented itself, I would gladly adjust all aspects of my lifestyle or profession to another nation for such substantial compensation.

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In this instance, the commission distributed $51.6 million in credits across 19 different projects. Among them, only the TV series “Suits L.A.” received an award via the Soundstage Filming Tax Credit Program. The spinoff of this show, set within Korsh’s initial legal drama universe, is projected to generate approximately 2,600 jobs for the state and invest $25 million in eligible wages, as well as a total of $507 million in California-qualified expenditures.

It’s likely not a coincidence that the upcoming legal drama (potentially starring Wendell Pierce and Sarah Rafferty, who have expressed interest in reprising their roles) received such a substantial tax credit. This is because it’s believed that producing the show will generate significant income and job opportunities for the state, which is generally beneficial.

Enthusiasts promptly grew eager for more following the arrival of Suits on Netflix, and given Stephen Amell’s star presence, along with other cast members like Josh McDermitt from The Walking Dead, there’s a good chance that the spinoff could be a massive success spanning multiple seasons, generating substantial revenue and employment opportunities.

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2024-09-11 22:07