By Andrew Gans
15 Nov 2004

Jonathan Larson's Rent may be set in New York's East Village, but the motion picture will be filmed in San Francisco.

The Associated Press reports that Treasure Island, a former naval station that served as the setting for Philip Kaufman's "Twisted," will be the filming location for Chris Columbus' "Rent" feature. The motion picture, budgeted at $40 million, is set to pay $12,000 a month rent during its six-month stay on the island.

Tony Hall, director of the Treasure Island Development Authority, told AP, "We're trying to revitalize filming on Treasure Island and this will show the rest of the movie industry that we can accommodate its needs."

The "Rent" film, expected to begin production this spring, is being produced by Michael Barnathan, Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro. Chris Columbus directs a cast that includes Rosario Dawson as Mimi, Tracie Thoms as Joanne and Adam Pascal as Roger. Negotiations are also underway with several original Rent cast members, including Anthony Rapp, Jesse L. Martin, Taye Diggs and Wicked's Idina Menzel.

Rentupdates Puccini's La Boheme to the East Village of the late 1990's, with artists and lovers struggling to connect in a world that is chaotic, shallow and tinged with disease. The late Jonathan Larson wrote Rent's book, music and lyrics. The 1996 Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning musical continues at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City.