Over the past decade, New Orleans residents caught glimpses of movie stars such as Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Denzel Washington with bright lights and cameras following them south.

Movies such as Runaway Jury, Mr. 3000, Last Holiday and The Pelican Brief were being produced and the Crescent City began to earn the reputation of becoming “Hollywood South”.

“There were people who questioned if we would ever get a film industry,” said Michael Arata, chair of Mayor C. Ray Nagin's Film and Video subcommittee for the Bring New Orleans Back Commission. “People didn't realize the potential Louisiana had to be a viable industry.”

Louisiana lawmakers and film commissions have been trying to lure major motion picture studios back to the state after Hurricane Katrina placed a destructive halt in production of the city's once budding film industry.

In a city that is nationally recognized for its Creole cuisine, supernatural lore and historic French Quarter, the idea of the Crescent City becoming a filming hub for some of Hollywood 's major motion pictures had become a reality when the cameras began to roll.

But New Orleans ' blossoming movie industry was unexpectedly interrupted by Mother Nature last August when film crews, along with thousands of New Orleans citizens, were forced to pack up and evacuate because of a storm estimated to have caused nearly $75 billion in damages.

“Pre-Katrina, Louisiana was optimistic with our film industry,” said Stephen Rue, president of the Motion Picture and Television Association of Louisiana. “It wasn't a matter of how many films were coming here, it was a matter of how we could accommodate all the crews that were flooding into the state.”

Four feature films were in production when Katrina hit, According to Alex Schott, executive director for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Film and Television.

“Two were forced to complete filming elsewhere,” Schott said. “The others moved into the northwest part of the state.”

The mayor's office reported that film productions had pumped $200 million into the city's economy last year making it one of his major agenda items when it came time to figure out ways to reconstruct the city's fractured economic base.

Nagin appointed Arata, and other prominent city and state officials, to identify the problems that the storm placed on the city's film-making ability. Nagin challenged him to develop an action plan to lure film agencies back to the city.

“We had to figure out how to get back on track,” Arata said. “We conducted a number of public meetings to decide how to get business back here because it's important to our economy.”

Production crews generated revenue for the city's economy by filling hotel beds and patronizing local restaurants during a film's production. Large scale movie production also provided numerous employment opportunities for local citizens.

“The amount of films shooting here is slowly rising,” Rue said. “Hotel rooms, or lack there of, are a problem.”

As of April, the city's tourism office reported that 174 hotels and motels were operating with more than 27,000 rooms available for occupancy. And the number steadily rose every day. Prior to Katrina, the hotels were operating with an inventory of nearly 40,000 rooms available for visiting guests.

The tax breaks the Louisiana Motion Picture Incentive Act provides to filmmakers, investors and lenders of film and television projects serve as an advantage the state had in its favor, according to Arata.

An example of attracting production companies is a sales tax break if its checking accounts are a minimum $250,000 and are drawn from a local banking institution.

Other portions of the bill give motion picture companies additional tax credits for employing state residents and allowing local investors, who make monetary investments of at least $300,000, credits against their state income tax returns.

“We have the greatest incentive package in the country,” Rue said. “The main thing that drives the film industry is money. If it wasn't for the tax incentives, the film industry wouldn't come here.”

Rue, who is currently producing “New Orleans Story,” a documentary about Katrina's impact on the city, said production crews are reluctant to return because of the scenes they have witnessed in the wake of the hurricane.

“Most areas that were being filmed in weren't actually affected by the storm,” Rue said. “The facilities that film crews need are still here.”

The producers of the film “Déjà vu,” starring Washington , was in the pre-production phase when Katrina struck. According to a press release, producers scouted other locations outside of Louisiana to finish the film, but decided to continue production in New Orleans , making it the first film to return after Katrina. Director Tony Scott could not find any other place that offered the visual concept he wanted.

Another major motion picture, “P.D.R.,” starring Terrence Howard and Mac, began shooting in the spring. The film's script says the story's action takes place in Philadelphia , but the film's producers also preferred to set up in shop in the Crescent City.

“You don't have the typical New Orleans backdrop in these films,” Rue said. “A big misunderstanding that people have is that movie studios film here because of the French Quarter and the local scenery. But beyond that, we have a background that can facilitate the needs of various movie productions.”

The television industry followed suit as FX's “Thief” also returned to film the show's pilot episode. The production crew shot additional footage modifying the show's script to reflect how the storm damaged the city.

“People are interested in helping the city rebuild,” Arata said. “Movies that could have gone elsewhere have chosen to stay here as part of the rebuilding process.”

Gil Cates Jr., director of “Deal,” which stars Burt Reynolds, said filming the movie against the backdrop of the World Poker Tournament in New Orleans was an effort on his part to aid a city struggling to stand on its own again.

“I wanted to film in New Orleans , of course, for the tax incentives,” Cates said. “But I also thought what cooler place to be, and help the economy.”

Cates said parts of the movie were filmed in other cities, but the time in New Orleans , he felt, set an interesting tone for the flick.

“Everyone there was really accommodating,” he said. “Most of our crew lived there and were just happy to be working.”

Eight or nine productions have already wrapped or are in current production in the revitalizing city, according to the Office of Film and Television.

“ Hollywood is realizing that, like a phoenix coming out of its ashes, the city has the same benefits as before,” Rue said.

Plans for a multi-million dollar studio are also being redrafted by local executives, who were also forced to curtail their visions indefinitely once the storm surge breeched levees and flooded the city.

“A film studio will be a flag in the ground to show that this will be a long term thing for the city,” Arata said.

Schott said there have been many promises of film studios within the city limits, but whether one is built will not hinder the industry's chances of thriving in the community.

“The whole vision is to become a production hub,” he said. “We have capable workers available for the film industry – everything from hotels, restaurants and vendors.”

But Louisiana officials may have to wait until the 2006 hurricane season ends before they can reclaim the local industry's pre-Katrina glory.

“A number of productions have to wait and see attitude,” Arata said. “We're just trying to let people know that New Orleans is open for business now.