North Carolina Denies That Swamp Thing Cancellation Was Due to Tax Breaks Issue

A week after it’s debut on DC Universe, Swamp Thing was sent to the chopping block in a surprise move. Initial reports suggested a snafu with the tax break paperwork led to the cancellation but now, the North Carolina Film Office has officially denied those claims. In a statement to CBR, Guy Gaster — the director of the aforementioned outfit — reveals that’s simply not the case.

Before Warner Brothers started filming in the state, Gaster says, the production was supposed upwards of $16.9 million for the entire first season, something both the State and production company reportedly agreed on.

“The production team for Swamp Thing knew before production began that North Carolina would offer up to $4.9M in rebates for their pilot episode and $12M for the remainder of season one,” Gaster says in the statement. “They accepted said offer and even signed a contract with the state with those figures. Per state legislation, the NC Film and Entertainment grant can only award up to $12M per season for a series. Per the program’s guidelines, pilot episodes are counted as their own series. In total, the program only receives $31M annually.”

Previous reports suggested Swamp Thing was due to receive some $40m in tax credits, clearly more than the program hands out each year. As it stands already, Swamp Thing received a massive chunk of the subsidies allowed this year. The season reportedly cost upwards of $85m to produce and in the world of streaming, it likely led to a massive loss for the team at Warner Brothers as they continue to work getting DC Universe off the ground.

Titans is currently filming its sophomore outing while fans still await word on whether the critically-acclaimed Doom Patrol will return for a second season.

Swamp Thing stars Derek Mears (Swamp Thing), Andy Bean (Alec Holland), Crystal Reed (Abby Arcane), Virginia Madsen (Maria Sunderland), Maria Sten (Liz Tremayne), Will Patton (Avery Sunderland), Jennifer Beals (Lucilia Cable), Kevin Durand (Jason Woodrue), Selena Anduze (Caroline Woodrue), and Robert Fortunato (Deputy T. Jones)

What have been your thoughts on Swamp Thing so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

New episodes of Swamp Thing roll out on DC Universe every Friday. The season finale is set to hit DC Universe August 2nd.