A Disney movie starring John Travolta is set to begin filming in Baltimore next month.
"Ladder 49" could be the biggest feature film ever made in the city, said Baltimore movie maven Jed Dietz, head of the Maryland Film Festival and founder of the Producers Club of Maryland.
Baltimore was chosen over several other cities, including Toronto and Philadelphia, to be the primary location for the thriller. Mayor Martin O'Malley helped campaign to win the movie.
The movie, which also stars Joaquin Phoenix, is the story of a veteran firefighter who looks back over his professional life, heroic career and family life while trapped in a deadly blaze.
"It is a big production, potentially one of the biggest we've ever had," Dietz said. "It is a great tribute to Baltimore that what (director Jay Russell) saw was authentic."
Russell already has directed one film in the area, last year's "Tuck Everlasting," which was shot partially in Harford County. "Red Dragon" and "Runaway Bride" also were shot in Baltimore.