HBO’s Ballers is reportedly leaving South Florida for good. The reason, however, remains unclear at this point.
Ballers show starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is two seasons down and the third is on its way in 2017. The HBO show revolves around former NFL player Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson) and his post-NFL career. Keeping that apart, the show is constantly in news off late for third season’s uncertainty and now there is another dilemma.
Miami Herald reports another bump in the road for the dramedy series. Show runners are contemplating a relocation for the filming of the next season of Ballers. The show was shot in Miami so far and turns out it will not be so henceforth. The reason for this upheaval has to do with a couple of baseless reasons.
In the light of concerns over the Zika outbreak in Miami, HBO is getting cold feet filming in the sunshine city. Interestingly, the officials in Miami have a different story to tell regarding the retreat of the show from Miami. Recent changes in the subsidy laws of Florida state is the culprit according to some locals. Ballers departure will prove too dear to Miami in terms of Jobs at least.
Most of the networks rely on the subsidies for the production. The reforms in the law has taken its toll on the entertainment industries in Miami. Netflix’s Bloodline, another Florida based project, will air the final season soon before it ends for good. Will HBO pull the plug on the show?
It will not be surprising if Ballers does not happen at all. Dwayne Johnson is busy with many projects and his scheduling conflicts was in the news earlier. The Miami affair is turning out ugly for the show’s future and HBO are keeping mum about it. Additionally, the story-line is based in Miami and the departure will mean the changes in the storyline, too.
Showrunners have to either shift the plot to a different state or shoot the scenes in a studio. Furthermore, the latter option is not very attractive as the recreation of Miami locations is very demanding. The officials of Miami have done their part to turn the tables on the predicament.
The mayor of Miami-Dade county said that he has spoken to the HBO officials and he is awaiting a response. Likewise, many officials voiced their concerns over the recent developments turning out detrimental to the famous tourist location. HBO will shortly make a statement regarding the ongoing conundrum soon enough.
