‘Infiltrator’ premiere brings star power, Hollywood glamour to Tampa

July 21, 2016

On July 6th, the Tampa Theatre’s sign lit up a little brighter.

Roughly 1,000 guests were treated to the world premiere of “The Infiltrator” at the historic theater after walking the red carpet with director Brad Furman and Hollywood stars Bryan Cranston and Benjamin Bratt.

“The Infiltrator” is based on the true story of Tampa resident and former undercover federal agent Robert Mazur’s five year operation to infiltrate and take down drug lord Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel in the 1980s.
It only seemed fitting that Furman and his crew shot the film here in Tampa Bay. From Ybor City to the beaches of Pinellas County, all of the hot spots of Tampa Bay were included in the feature film.

“(Mazur’s) story generates here,” Furman said to the Tampa Bay Times, “so for me, keeping the authenticity of that was absolutely crucial. When I saw all the diversity offered to me, I said this is amazing. Let’s keep it authentic, let’s keep it real, let’s embrace Tampa as best we can, in its own raw, unique way.”

The Tampa Hillsborough Film & Digital Media Commission worked tirelessly to land this film, which shot here for three weeks in 2015, despite a lack of incentives from the state level. Tim Burton’s “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” also shot in Hillsborough County during this time.
“The Infiltrator” is now in theaters.

For more on the movie premiere, please read the Tampa Bay Business Journal and Tampa Bay Times.