Urbane and unsmiling, Stallone commanded the room like a god. That's an action movie in itself. Mayor Norm Rice held the press conference as part of Seattle's ongoing courtship of Hollywood. He looked at the Assassins stars and officials. We plan to do everything to make your stay a very good one, so that this town remains film-friendly for everyone who comes here.
Numbers explain the enthusiasm.
Imagine Sylvester Stallone as the stable point of a compass. Technicians, production people, caterers, hotel managers, car rental companies, construction workers and truck drivers swing around that fixed point, creating a lucrative arc for the 5,000 Washington residents working in the industry and the many more in the hospitality field. Last spring, Gov. Mike Lowry went to Hollywood to recruit more of this business. Most insiders credit the now-canceled TV series Northern Exposure as a reason why Washington's become a big player in the game. The seven years the cast and crew spent in Roslyn and on a sound stage in Redmond exposed the world to the lovelier parts of rural living in a beautiful area, while beefing up tourism and the state's production infrastructure.