Welcome news that Tampa will soon be the primary production location for a major movie starring John Travolta. “The Punisher,” an adaptation of the Marvel Comics superhero, will begin shooting this summer. The title character is an undercover FBI agent who turns vigilante after his family is murdered by mobsters.
The feature movie shoot, this city’s first since Burt Reynolds’ “Cop and a Half” in 1992, will mean a hefty economic jolt, one worth an estimated $2 million. It could only get better if “The Punisher” decided to stay on and work East Tampa.