Summary: "The movie '1883'" was shot in Texas. "Yellowstone" prequel "Sam Bass," currently in production in Texas, will soon have lots of company. While Texas has its fair share of iconic movies made in Texas, this year's 88th Texas Legislature gave a major financial boost to the film, TV and video business in Texas, that will make "a brighter future for Texas filmmakers and imported location shoots."
Latest Update: Friday, 29 September, 2023;; Friday, 15 September, 2023; Friday, 08 September, 2023
Film in Texas gets big boost from TX 88th Legislature.
"Yellowstone" prequel "Sam Bass," currently in production in Texas will soon have lots of company. While Texas has its fair share of iconic movies made in Texas, this year's 88th Texas Legislature gave a major financial boost to the film, TV and video business in Texas, that will make "a brighter future for Texas filmmakers and imported location shoots." "Lawmakers authorized $200 million in a state incentive[s]... a major victory to Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker"
"Yellowstone' spin-off prequel “Bass Reeves,”
• Texas Film, Video Game Industries in the Spotlight, Texas Comptroller Fiscal Notes, August 2023. Excerpts.
In the face of competing priorities for state funds, many of which also offer a return on investment, Texas industry members welcomed the 88th Legislature’s decision to increase state incentives for film and video game developers, making it easier for local areas to grant tax exemptions for their projects. Industry members are still pushing for a sustainable means of Texas investment in the years ahead, and some point out changes are necessary to put video games on an equal footing with films in qualifying for incentives.
In addition, more than 210 feature film, commercial and television production companies claim Texas as their home. Those that have participated in the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) have generated $1.95 billion in economic impact with a 504 percent return on investment from 2007 to 2022, according to the Texas Film Commission (TFC).
• Texas has set aside $200M of incentives towards media production. How did we get here?, KERA, 18 July 2023, Excerpts.
The Texas State Legislature recently boosted the state's media incentive program for the next two years to $200 million.
That may not seem like much when lawmakers had surplus billions to work with. But it's more than enough to re-ignite talk of a brighter future for Texas filmmakers and imported location shoots.
"A lot of legislators in the past," Sanders said, "they would just literally vote down incentives just for the talking point of, 'I cut handouts for Hollywood!' But -- that's not how it works." Texas incentives are like rebates – producers earn them.
Goldman, a Republican state representative from Fort Worth, authored several of the film incentive bills. And to get the entire budget increase passed, he worked with others including Sanders, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and the office of Governor Greg Abbott.
But Texas is where "Friday Night Lights" was filmed. "Tender Mercies," "Robocop," "No Country for Old Men" and "Boyhood" — not to mention "Dallas," the TV series, "Walker Texas Ranger" and the seventh season of "America's Next Top Model."
Reporter Tim Molloy wrote, "Texas is booming as you’re about to see from the five Lone Star State cities on this list, all of which would be higher in our rankings if Texas offered more generous tax incentives."
With five cities on the list, Texas has more than any other state. But they're primarily clustered at the bottom: Fort Worth (25th, tied with Orlando), San Antonio (22nd), Houston (21st) and Dallas (20th) — behind Tulsa, Baltimore and Missoula, Montana. Austin was 12th.
• Added Tuesday, 03 October, 2023. Texas Film, Video Game Industries in the Spotlight, State Fuels Incentive Engine to Compete for Productions and Jobs, Fiscal Notes Texas Comptroller, August 2023
In the face of competing priorities for state funds, many of which also offer a return on investment, Texas industry members welcomed the 88th Legislature’s decision to increase state incentives for film and video game developers, making it easier for local areas to grant tax exemptions for their projects. Industry members are still pushing for a sustainable means of Texas investment in the years ahead, and some point out changes are necessary to put video games on an equal footing with films in qualifying for incentives.
• Texas legislature passes several bills to increase film production in the state, KXAN, 27 June 2023, Excerpts.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas legislature passed several bills this legislative session to incentivize more film, television and commercial production in the state.
During the session, Texas lawmakers introduced a record-breaking 19 bills aimed at incentivizing film production in a variety of ways. Though not all passed, the Texas Motion Picture Alliance – an entity for film, TV, commercial, video game and digital media production industries – said what did make it through was a win for the industry.
Perhaps most notably, the legislature approved a $200 million budget for Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program – an entity designed to build the economy through the moving image industry – which is a 400% increase from what it received last session. Raymond said this money, in turn, will pump $1 billion back into the Texas economy.
“That’s a really big business when we have an industry bringing in a billion dollars. That’s something to talk about,” she said.
• Fort Worth film commissioner leans into Texas hospitality to bring box office projects to Cowtown, Fort Worth Report, 14 September, 2023, Excerpts
Since the creation of the film commission, Christopherson and her team have worked on hundreds of projects that have spurred economic benefits, such as supporting over 19,000 local jobs and generating over $555 million in economic impact.
While the commission has helped bring productions like “A Ghost Story,” “The Old Man & the Gun,” “Never Goin’ Back,” “No Future,” “Miss Juneteenth,” “12 Mighty Orphans” and “The Senior” to Fort Worth, it was Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” and “1883” that have really put the city on the map.
• Fort Worth applauds Legislature’s approval of $200 million in film incentives, Kara News, 31 May 2023
Fort Worth’s expanding film industry, which has already pumped an estimated half-billion dollars into the local economy, is expected to surge toward more dramatic growth on the strength of a quadruple increase in state movie incentives authorized in the just-ended regular legislative session.
Lawmakers authorized $200 million in a state incentive program designed to boost movie and TV production in Texas, delivering a major victory to Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and other regional leaders who pushed for the increase. Previously, $45 million was allocated for promoting the film industry through its Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program.
“It’s going to be a real real game-changer, not just for the whole state but certainly for Fort Worth,” said Fort Worth film producer Red Sanders, who helped found the Fort Worth Film Commission in 2015.
Fort Worth’s reputation as a regional film and TV production capital has steadily grown in stature through hundreds of projects both big and small.
Two of Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed Fort Worth-based productions are “1883” and “Lawman: Bass Reeves.” Others’ film projects include “A Ghost Story,” “The Old Man” & The Gun,” “Miss Juneteenth” and 12 Mighty Orphans.”
• ‘Yellowstone,’ ‘Love and Death’ Spark ‘Game-Changing’ Film Production Spike in Texas, Daily Caller 17 February 2023
• ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off Starts Filming In Texas As Another Prequel Enters Official Development, Daily Caller, 17 February 2023, Excerpts.
A news update from WFAA stated that production development is underway in Texas for the upcoming spin-off prequel “Bass Reeves,” the true story of America’s first ever black U.S. marshal. Reeves was born a slave in 1838, and went on to serve for the Confederacy during the Civil War, a guide for government officials throughout Indian Territory, and is said to have apprehended more than 3,000 outlaws throughout his prolific career.
• What’s happening with the Texas movie industry? Curious Texas investigates, Dallas Morning News, 24 January 2023. Excerpts.
Texas offers incentives to filmmakers, but experts say other states with more lucrative deals are attracting bigger productions.
Curious about what films were shot in Texas? Check out our list of popular movies that were filmed in Texas and see a full list of TV and film productions shot in Texas here.
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