GEORGIA – Georgia’s film and television industry brought in the big bucks as productions spent $4.4 billion in the state, according to Gov. Brian Kemp.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development reported that in 2022, Georgia hosted 412 productions, represented by 32 feature films, 36 independent films, 269 television and episodic productions, 42 commercials and 33 music videos between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.
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The film industry was hit hard by COVID-19 because most productions had to cease.
“When the pandemic struck, we worked hard in Georgia to communicate with our partners in the Georgia film, TV and streaming industries,” Kemp said. “Together, we forged a safe and appropriate path to allow the film industry to return to operations and deliver Georgia Made productions to eager consumers all around the world - even when some states continued to stay shut down and stifle the industry’s return to normalcy.”
Spider-Man: No Way Home continued to rise on the box office charts during the fiscal year, and four movies filmed in Georgia claimed four of the top six spots for highest domestic-grossing movies: Avengers: Endgame came in number two, Spider-Man: No Way Home was number 3, Black Panther was number five, and Avengers: Infinity War was number six, a news release stated.
Georgia’s streaming industry was no stranger to creating hit programming.
Season four of Stranger Things received an all-time high Neilson streaming record in July for hitting more than 7 billion minutes of viewing time during the first half of the season. Netflix’s Ozark was another Georgia-lensed show that earned 13 Primetime Emmy nominations in July. HBO Max’s The Staircase, Disney+’s Loki and FX’s Atlanta also earned Emmy nominations, making a total of 46 nominations for productions in the state.
Georgia is also seeing an expansion of a lot of its production companies.
A new 350,000 square foot soundstage development will open in Athens after Reynolds Capital announces that they would invest $60 million towards a new studio. The studio will also be used for the University of Georgia and the Georgia Film Academy to teach students film production.
Cinelease Studios-Three Ring and Electric Owl Studios also broke ground on new studio expansions across the state, and MBS Equipment Company, the largest studio-based equipment company in the world of film, announced the opening of their new East Coast headquarters at Trilith Studios in Fayette County.
“The credits rolling are the names of our neighbors and our cities, and it’s incredibly exciting to bring our Georgia people and places around the world through entertainment,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said. “We thank Georgia’s leadership, the companies doing business here, the professionals at our Georgia Film Office, and all of our partners who have worked continuously to bring more film and television production to Georgia. Their tireless efforts improve the lives of thousands of Georgians and their families, and make a significant positive impact on our state’s overall economy.”