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3 Movies Filmed In Pittsburgh To Hit Theaters

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- They've got action, adventure and romance. But, that's not all they have in common.

Three big movies hitting theaters this month were all shot in Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

"Unstoppable" with Denzel Washington opened over the weekend. "The Next Three Days" starring Russel Crowe opens Friday, Nov. 19 and "Love and Other Drugs" with Jake Gyllenhall and Anne Hathaway comes out the day before Thanksgiving.

KDKA-TV Morning News anchor Jennifer Antkowiak spoke with local people who worked on the films, including Jessica Conner, Assistant Director of the Pittsburgh Film Office.

"It's unprecedented that all three films that shot last fall would be coming out within a week of each other," Conner said.

A Pittsburgh man who worked as a location scout told Jennifer that a small convenience store across from Iron City Brewery gets a cameo when one of the lead actresses stops in for donuts, in "Unstoppable."

KDKA-TV Technical Director Dave Slies' house was used for part of the filming, too. It gave crews a great vantage point to capture Denzel Washington jumping from car to car on the runaway train.

In "Love and Other Drugs," you'll see the Civic Arena and Connelly Trade School.

"The Next Three Days," though, is the movie where the city of Pittsburgh really shines.

This is the only one of the three films that Pittsburgh plays itself and you'll see a lot of downtown city shots throughout the film.

Jennifer reported that while the stars were here, they made themselves at home.

Jake Gyllenhall shopped at Whole Foods and cheered on the Steelers. Everyone made it a point to eat at Primanti's and Oscar-winner Russell Crowe did quite a bit of biking around town.

Jessica Conner credits the Pennsylvania tax credit with keeping the Pittsburgh region competitive in the movie industry.

That credit may be in jeopardy in next year's state budget.

Movie-making in Pittsburgh has turned into big business. In fact, this year, the economic impact in the region totals more than $100 million.

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