Deb Belanger, executive director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the Ricky Gervais romantic comedy, The Invention of Lying, due out in September, alone generated $2 million worth of economic impact in the region last summer. This time around, the major motion picture The Fighter is set in the Mill City, bringing not only the stars but also a crew of hundreds to Lowell, working on the day-to-day operations. “I was talking to the producers and they expect to spend at least $3 million,” Belanger said of the Ward and Eklund biopic. “That’s including location fees, security, meals, hotel rooms — all that kind of stuff. It’s huge spending.”
