New movie studio coming to Texas
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Hill Country Studios rendering. Courtesy of Foley Design
Central Texas may soon get a little more glamorous.
Driving the news: The Hill Country Group unveiled plans on Wednesday for a $267 million television and film studio in San Marcos.
Details: Hill Country Studios will have a dozen soundstages and a "virtual production" studio to allow remote work. Officials claim it will be the largest of its kind in Texas.
What they're saying: San Marcos "was a pretty easy choice," Zach Price, chief operating officer of Hill Country Studios, told Axios.
- Being 30 minutes away from major airports will help bring in talent and crews, he said.
The intrigue: The studios will be located at the entrance to La Cima, a massive subdivision. The family behind that development is a major investor in the project.
- The San Marcos City Council this week approved a five-year property tax incentive worth $3.7 million.
- The approval came despite concerns by environmentalists about construction atop the Edwards Aquifer, a major regional water source.
Between the lines: Central Texas has had a mature film production scene since at least the 1970s. Our favorite Austin-filmed movies are "Blood Simple," "Slacker," "Office Space," "Teeth," "Dazed and Confused" and "Boyhood."
- Austin already has a host of production studios, including the 20-acre Austin Studios.
- And a massive studio is slated for Bastrop.
Of note: Crews were in Georgetown earlier this year filming a new based-on-a-true-story murder-trial miniseries for HBO Max called "Love and Death," starring Jesse Plemons and Elizabeth Olsen — and produced by Nicole Kidman. It is expected to be released later this year.
What's next: Construction of Hill Country Studios should begin early next year.