New movie studio coming to Texas

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.