Production of "Leatherheads," a romantic comedy about a 1920s football league staring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger, will begin in early 2007, according to an announcement from Gov. Mike Easley's office. Universal Pictures is considering several sites for filming, including Greensboro, Salisbury, Statesville and Winston-Salem, the announcement said.

Clooney, who co-wrote the script and will also direct the film, visited Salisbury last month to check out the town's restored train depot.

North Carolina offers economic incentives that allow production companies that spend at least $250,000 in the state to receive tax credits equal to 15 percent for all goods, services and labor they purchase in the state.

Recent productions in North Carolina include the film "Talladega Nights," which was filmed in Charlotte and Rockingham, as well as the television series One Tree Hill, now in its fourth season, which is shot at Screen Gem Studios in Wilmington.

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