Kevin Costner just finalized his divorce from Christine Baumgartner last week, and now he’s moving ahead with his next big career move. The 69-year-old actor is getting ready to bring a bit of Hollywood glamour to the mountains of Utah.
Costner’s next act involves building a high-tech movie studio in St. George, which is in the southern part of the state of Utah. Territory Film Studios will provide “70,000 square feet of sound stages, 51,000 square feet of production warehouses and nearly 32,000 square feet of production offices,” according to Fox News Digital. The mayor of St. George, Michele Randall, told the media outlet that they hope to start construction by “spring or summer” and fast-track the project.
It makes sense that Costner selected the state because he’s been busy filming his expected four-part drama, Horizon: An American Saga, in the area. Joyce Kelly, sales and event manager with the Greater Zion Tourism Office, shared that it’s going to be “an amazing studio” with “an amazing location.” She added, “Very accessible to LA, Las Vegas and incredible scenery. You know, whether you’re filming indoors or outdoors, we think it’s going to be an amazing experience for filmmakers worldwide.” It’s also going to provide numerous jobs for people in the entertainment industry outside of the often-expensive California locations.
Costner isn’t the only celebrity looking to bring Hollywood to a new location. Mark Wahlberg has been working with Nevada lawmakers to draw filmmakers to the state where he recently moved. “I would love to see us building studios, creating jobs and just diversifying the economy,” he told CNBC in 2023. “I think there’s so much more opportunity to be created here. There’s so much growth and so much potential, it’s a wonderful opportunity for everybody to prosper.” If he’s successful, it would pave the way for construction of two movie studios — one in Las Vegas on the campus of the University of Nevada’s technology park and one on Summerlin.
While Costner’s idea isn’t original, it’s showing that California isn’t the only state to make a bit of Hollywood magic.
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