Production for the upcoming 2019 Sci-Fi Film “Ad Astra” has already begun in the area around the Santa Clarita Valley, according to Dave McNary of Variety.

“Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Jamie Kennedy, and Donald Sutherland are also starring in “Ad Astra.” Pitt is playing a man who journeys across the solar system in search of his missing father, a dangerous renegade scientist, according to Dave McNary.  “Jones has been cast as Pitt’s father.”

The James Gray directed film is expected to come out Jan. 11, 2019 and is said to resemble Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.”

Like most large projects it is unclear exactly where “Ad Astra” is being filmed but it is one of the many projects being filmed in the Santa Clarita Valley every day.

Previous Story: Santa Clarita Remains Prime Filming Location

The city, which is used by a large number of film companies for a shooting location, had 1,265 days of filming across the 545 shoots that were given permits.

The shows range from Comedy Central’s “Drunk History,” a show touring different American cities for a drunken retelling of the nation’s past, to HBO’s “Sharp Objects,” a series about a journalist investigating the murders of two young girls.

This is the fourth fiscal year in a row the film office has recorded similar impacts from filming.

“Being a film-friendly city is a priority for the city council as filming is such a great contributor to our local economy and provides many quality jobs for our residents,” said Mayor Cameron Smyth.   “Film and television production has deep roots in the Santa Clarita Valley.”

City officials credit their incentive program and movie ranch overlay zone for bringing so many productions to Santa Clarita, along with the California Film and Television Tax Credit program to keep production in the state.

Additionally, Santa Clarita is within the film industry’s well-known 30-Mile Zone and offers thousands of film-friendly locations that can double for almost anywhere in the world.

The valley has more than 20 sound stages, more than 10 movie ranches, a one-stop shop film office, and some of the lowest film permitting fees in the Los Angeles area.

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