Georgia celebrates 50 years of film and TV production

Georgia celebrated 50 years of production with blockbuster stats for the industry this fiscal year.

The Georgia Film Office, a strategic office within the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), reported that Georgia hosted 390 productions, represented by 31 feature films, 55 independent films, 241 television and episodic productions, 40 commercials, and 23 music videos between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. 

These productions contributed to a reported spend of $4.1 billion during the fiscal year 2023. 

Georgia Film Office Director Film Lee Thomas touted the economic benefits of the influx of productions to other industries in the state. "We know that tourists flock to Covington not only because of recent projects like The Vampire Diaries but also because five episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard were shot there four decades ago," he said. 

"In just a few seasons, The Walking Dead helped transform Senoia from six storefronts to more than 150 small businesses downtown. In Hall County, an enterprising local fishing charter company began offering Ozark tours of the filming locations for more than $300 per person due to high demand and limited space. 

"Beyond the direct spend, it may take years, even decades, to understand the complete economic impact of a project on an area."

This follows the Sound Stage Production Report report by FilmLA which saw Georgia overtake New York as having the second-highest square footage of dedicated soundstage space with 3m sqft (Los Angeles remains in first place) in the country. The state ranks fourth globally behind LA, the UK, and Ontario, Canada.

The Georgia Film Office further projects they will overtake Los Angeles if their "growth continues as projected."

Recent projects to film in Georgia include Blue Beetle, Strays, and the upcoming Netflix feature Reptile, while Marvel films and TV shows — including blockbusters Avengers: End Game, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Spider-Man: No Way Home — frequently shoot in Georgia.