Hollywood Studios Moving Production From Georgia Due To Economic Pressures
Image Source: CultureSlate
For many years, Hollywood companies such as Marvel Studios have filmed movies in Georgia, capitalizing on the state’s production tax credits. That is all changing, with rising costs in Georgia now making the UK a cheaper location for film production.
412 projects were shot in Georgia during the 2022 fiscal year. That has dropped to around 245 in the previous fiscal year. Projects with budgets over $40 million shooting across the US saw a decrease of 29% in 2024 compared to 2022. Meanwhile, the number grew by 16% in the UK. Not only was Marvel’s latest, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, filmed in the UK, but other Hollywood projects such as Wicked and Barbie were, too.
Director of the Georgia Film Office, Lee Thomas, claims labour costs are the largest factor for the decline of studios using the state for their projects. She hopes that the decline is “an anomaly where they’ll try out other markets and will return to Georgia because they have faith in our crew and facilities and our tried-and-true incentive.” With a similar tax credit to Georgia, the UK is seen to be cheaper from not needing to cover the health insurance of workers, who are also generally paid less.
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Image Source: IMDb
In 2008, Georgia expanded its tax credit to a maximum of 30%. Along with no cap on the program, this generous amount saw the state begin its entertainment boom. Productions such as Lionsgate’s Hunger Games and Netflix’s Stranger Things started shooting in Georgia, with Marvel considered one of the most important studios to use Georgia for their projects. These studios were supporting almost 20,000 jobs in the state, according to a 2023 study by Georgia State University.
Janine Gosselin, a 62-year-old script supervisor who worked on productions such as Spider-Man: Homecoming and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, is one of many now feeling the effects of that production move. Seeing annual earnings of up to $200,000, she hasn’t been in steady work since February of last year.
Trilith Studios, a facility used for production near Atlanta City, used to be one of the most popular places. Lenzi Sealy, location scout on four Marvel projects, remembers, “We were fighting over stages on a daily basis because there just wasn’t enough room for Marvel and whatever other show was trying to film.” Trilith has become mostly empty since, with Chief Executive Frank Patterson having invested in startups to make content from the facility, while hoping that the current downturn will end.
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Source: Wall Street Journal
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