Georgia proving popular filming location

The US state of Georgia is currently booming with productions, including comedy Die Hart, starring Kevin Hart and John Travolta, and big-budget action thriller Red Notice, starring Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson.

One of the key drawcards is the state’s 20% tax credit for companies that spend $500,000 or more on production and post-production in Georgia. The tax credits have grown from $141m in 2010 to an estimated $870m in 2019.

However, a recent state audit found that lax oversight of the credit makes the program an ideal environment for fraud, with some companies having received film tax credits they did not earn.

Georgia requires companies to provide less documentation than any of the 31 other states with a film tax incentive, auditors wrote. Hundreds of projects annually receive the credits.

“The tax credit has been a huge success,” insists Republican state Senator Frank Ginn, the chairman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee. “What we need to do is evaluate where we go moving forward.”

Among the other projects that have been shooting in Georgia are the Nicola Cage starring horror film Willy’s Wonderland, which has transformed an old bowling alley in the Sprayberry Crossing area for the shoot. Plus, Marvel/Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, starring Daniel Bruhl, which has filmed in Sweetwater Creek State Park and Griffin, among other places. While Red Notice has been filming in Stockbridge, Conyers, and at the Atlanta Metro Studios in Union City, just 10 minutes south of Hartsfield Jackson Airport, and consisting of 135,000 square feet of sound stages.

Some of the key projects shooting in Georgia since December….

Die Hart - Quibi comedy with Kevin Hart and John Travolta

Red Notice - Big-budget action thriller starring Ryan Reynolds, Gil Gadot and Dwayne Johnson 

Respect – Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson (filming includes the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth)

DMZ - ambitious HBO pilot starring Rosario Dawson and Benjamin Bratt

Willy’s Wonderland - film starring Nicolas Cage

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Marvel’s anticipated series about two of its characters

Genius: Aretha Franklin – National Geographic bio on Franklin starring Cynthia Erivo

Injustice with Nancy Grace - season 2 of a true crime show on Oxygen

MacGyver - season 4, after taking a short break in December

Prank Encounters - season 2 on Netflix

Dead Silent - ID season 4 from Atlanta-based Crazy Legs Productions

Your Worst Nightmare - ID season 6, also from Crazy Legs Productions

Revenge Prank - MTV 

Temple Fortunes - indie film

Uncensored - season 3 for TV One