It is outta there! No, BALLERS is too much of a hit for HBO to be canceled, it is just changing its locale. The production has packed its bags (seen here) and is no longer centered in Miami, Florida. It has moved shop to southern California and the series will be filming its third season there. Damn, the Sunshine State really helped give the show a great look and feel.
The reason for the move has nothing to do with plot devices or even cast, like Dwayne Johnson, wanting to be closer to home. It is all about money. The state of California is offering a great tax break incentive to lure the show to the entertainment capital. It happens all the time. In fact, the Emmy-winning VEEP with Julia Louis-Dreyfus moved from Maryland to California for the same reason before its most recent season. With production companies outsourcing their work for fresh and exciting locales to make their shows different L. A. is doing whatever it can to bring them back and cost-saving ploys are doing the job.
According to the Los Angeles Times, BALLERS has been approved to receive $8.3 million in tax credits for shooting its next 10 episodes in California. HBO stated that “In evaluating the production resources, and its evolving story lines, the producers have decided to relocate the base of production to California. We would like to thank the city of Miami and state of Florida for their help and support in making the first two seasons of ‘Ballers’ a great success. HBO hopes to return to Florida to film in the future.”
The question remains on how this will change the story of BALLERS. Will the show shoot in environs that make it still look like they are in Southern Florida or will Spencer Strasmore (Johnson) and company up and move to L. A.? Nah, that doesn’t quite make sense, but we will see. However, it is more likely that southern CA is just substituting for Miami. Time will tell when Season Three of BALLERS arrives in 2017.
