CLEVELAND — After the box office success of James Gunn's Superman, which was shot in Cleveland for approximately six weeks in 2024, it *appears* that Gunn and Warner Bros. are exploring Ohio again as a possible filming location for a sequel.
An identical production team filed an application for the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit, obtained by News 5 from the Ohio Department of Development, which oversees the program. The program allows film, theater, and TV projects to write off 30% of in-state production costs.
It lists the movie title as "Exodus," similar to the 2023 tax credit application, which used a movie title of "Genesis." Both applications listed S & K Pictures, Inc. as the production company. This new application also lists James Gunn as the director and lists David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan as the principal cast.
The application details how preproduction in Ohio could begin June 15, 2026, and wrap up production on August 21, 2026.
Last summer, News 5 highlighted how much of Cleveland was featured in Gunn's Superman movie — check that out here:
RELATED: LOOK: Before you see the new Superman movie, here are all the Cleveland landmarks to watch out for.
However, don't expect the same treatment where downtown Cleveland turned into Metropolis in 2024.
The application calls for five days of production in Ohio with 61 days of preproduction. It also suggests the movie would hire seven Ohio residents and involve another 12 employees for filming in the Buckeye State.
For comparison, the 2023 Superman tax credit application listed 37 shoot days in Ohio, 133 days of preproduction, and a projected 3,254 Ohio residents being hired.
While the Superman film was shot in and around Cleveland, Mentor and Cincinnati, it's not clear where in Ohio shooting locations would occur.
Ohio's Department of Development Film Tax Credit database shows the Exodus project, which was submitted in January, as "approved" for a film tax credit of $1,991,730.90; however, that does not mean the film production will be definitively utilizing it.
In a statement to News 5, a spokesperson with the Ohio Department of Development said, "We define 'approved' as while Development has approved the production for the award, it is contingent upon the applicant paying the application fee by the deadline and providing proof that production has begun within 90 days of the approval date, including submission of a 90-day progress report. In other words, the production has been preliminarily approved for an award and that tax credits have been set aside, provided the production meets all program requirements."
The application to the Ohio Motion Picture Tax lists a total film production budget of $330 million.
News 5 has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.
News 5's Michelle Jarboe contributed to this report.
