Mike Myers as Austin Powers went to Moab, where "Mission: Impossible" superspy Tom Cruise had gone before. The gamma-powered Hulk rampaged through Wendover. And what he didn't destroy, scientists drilled into while looking for "The Core."
All of which adds up to big things for Utah's financial picture.
Or does it?
Despite the presence of three major-studio films — and the fact that Ang Lee's superhero movie will return this fall to southern Utah for further shooting — the 2001-2002 fiscal year was a down period for the state.
The previous 12 months marked one of the slowest periods for movie and television production in the state since the early '90s, when Hollywood rediscovered Utah as a film location, according to Utah Film Commission executive director Leigh von der Esch.
"It hasn't been pretty," said von der Esch. "We at the commission have been working twice as hard as usual, just to try to get us up to a below-average year."
In all, film and television projects account for more than $100 million worth of economic impact in Utah each year, and the state currently ranks in the top 10 around the country for the number of productions it hosts.
The final numbers were still being compiled this week, but when all is said and done, Utah is expected, for the first time in nearly a decade, to fall below $100 million for film and television production revenue.
That is due to a number of factors, von der Esch said:
The number of projects getting the green light from movie studios and TV networks slowed from a flood to a trickle, thanks to the threat of strikes by actor and writer unions.
The 2002 Utah Winter Games was a boost for the state but led to a shortage of accommodations and transportation worries for film and television crews early this year.
Fear of travel following 9/11 temporarily halted any production taking place outside of Southern California and New York.
U.S. productions are filming in Canada, lured by tax breaks and other incentives.
And of course, due to a mild recession, the economy around the country is suffering, which includes the film and television industry.
Still, von der Esch said that revenue won't fall too far below the $100 million mark. "Let's just say that we came out of this better than we expected to. We're not happy that we're down, but considering how the rest of the country has done, we're happy."
In a typical year, Utah plays host to a mix of film and television production — including network movies of the week, independent features, local productions and mid-budget studio films — as well as commercials and music videos.
There is also the occasional Hollywood blockbuster — "Thelma & Louise," "Mission: Impossible II," "Independence Day," "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" — that shoots all or a few scenes in Utah. This year, thanks to the second "Austin Powers" sequel and "The Hulk," among others, there are signs of a turnaround.
"We've gotten some of the bigger movie projects to at least do a couple weeks of shooting here, which increases our profile," she said. "And some smaller things have followed in their wake."
Utah is also the only state between California and New York that can claim to host an entire season's worth of shoots for, not one but two, one-hour television dramas — CBS's "Touched by an Angel," which has begun filming this week in Heber, and the WB's "Everwood," with Ogden, Salt Lake City and other northern central locales subbing for a small town in Colorado. (Considering that "Everwood's" pilot was shot in Canada, von der Esch said she is taking some satisfaction in having landing the episodic series.)
Late summer and early fall could be the busiest Utah has been in a few years. Besides "Touched by an Angel" and "Everwood" continuing to film throughout the year, "The Hulk" production company will return to shoot more scenes here.
Filming will begin soon in Eureka for "The Maldonado Miracle," a movie made for pay-cable network Showtime, which stars Peter Fonda and marks the directing debut of actress Salma Hayek. And the makers of the local comedy hit "The Singles Ward" have begun shooting a follow-up film in Utah County, "The R.M."
Unfortunately, a production that had been scheduled to film locally — "Men of Destiny," a historical drama directed by John Woo and starring Nicolas Cage and Chow Yun-fat — has been temporarily shelved while the script goes through revision. (If those delays are longer than expected, there's a possibility the film still might head to Utah next spring or summer.)
"The summer months are usually our strongest, and we seem to be building momentum," von der Esch said. "We've sent out a lot of information and had quite a few scripts sent to us. This could get pretty interesting."
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com