Mickey Rourke, Josh Brolin, Sly Stallone among those headed to La. for film, TV projects

It's shaping up to be a busy spring for the film and television industry in Louisiana.

Big-budget movies such as "The Expendables" and "Jonah Hex" are set to begin production next month, along with a batch of television and independent film projects.

"It's a good, healthy slate of projects," said Jennifer Day, director of the New Orleans Office of Film and Video, who estimates the New Orleans area will be the backdrop for at least four film and television productions and about 10 total will be filming statewide.

One of the biggest is "The Expendables," an action thriller about mercenaries trying to overthrow a South American dictator. The film is bringing a multimillion-dollar budget and a plethora of stars to the New Orleans area.

Mickey Rourke, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li are among its stars. Stallone writes, directs and acts in the movie, which also casts Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts and Forest Whitaker.

"The Expendables" will be in Louisiana for about two months. Filming begins in Brazil on March 28, then moves to New Orleans in late April. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to make a cameo appearance, but that scene will be shot in Los Angeles.

The Warner Bros. feature film "Jonah Hex" stars Josh Brolin and is also scheduled to shoot in the New Orleans area in April. The film is based on the Western comic book character.

It will be Brolin's first project in Louisiana since shooting Oliver Stone's "W." last year in Shreveport. Brolin and co-star Jeffrey Wright were arrested last July in a bar fight, but charges against them were later dropped.

Day said the fact that Brolin and others affiliated with "W." are returning to Louisiana shows he state has more working in its favor than against it.

"They're back, and that is the number one best marketing tool we could ask for," Day said.

Louisiana remains third in the country for film and TV production, trailing only behind the traditional production hubs of California and New York, Day said.

But the state isn't without its share of hurdles, especially in the New Orleans area, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, she said.

"We are fighting a lot of very wrong perceptions," Day said. "We have to fight the perception that the city is still in shambles and that it's not safe to visit. That we're still under water ... It's ridiculous."

At least one project this spring taps into post-Katrina New Orleans.

David Simon, creator of the critically acclaimed series "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "The Wire," is in New Orleans now shooting the pilot for "Treme," a proposed series Simon hopes will be picked up by HBO.

"Treme" is named for the predominantly black and Creole neighborhood in New Orleans near the French Quarter known for its rich musical heritage. If it's picked up as a series, life and culture after the 2005 hurricane that flooded 80 percent of the city would be the focus.

Other projects set for coming weeks include the independent feature film "Dead of Night" starring Brandon Routh. Now in preproduction, about seven weeks of principal photography is scheduled to begin in the New Orleans area the first week of April.

Nu Image/Millennium's feature film "Cool Dog" is shooting in Shreveport, and the independent feature film "My Last Goodbye" will shoot in the Lafayette area beginning March 30. In Baton Rouge, the independent feature film "American Gospel" is scheduled for this spring and summer.

"The Imagination Movers," the television series launched by the New Orleans children's band by the same name, is set to begin shooting this month for The Disney Channel.

The action flick "12 Rounds," which was shot in New Orleans last year and stars World Wrestling Entertainment's John Cena, is scheduled to be released in theaters on March 27. The film is about a New Orleans police detective, played by Cena, whose girlfriend is kidnapped.

Other Louisiana-made films slated for release later this year include "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" on May 1, "The Brothers Bloom" on May 29, "The Year One" on June 19 and "Mardi Gras" and "Final Destination: Death Trip 3D" on Aug. 28.