A new film and television studio development taking shape in Illinois’ Metro East region is betting that generous tax incentives, lower operating costs and an underserved production market can help attract projects that might otherwise land in Atlanta, Chicago or other established production hubs.

Hollywood River Studios, a planned $62 million production campus under construction in Wood River, Ill., is targeting a summer 2027 opening for its first phase. When completed, the development will feature six soundstages totaling approximately 140,000 square feet, positioning it as one of the largest purpose-built production facilities in the St. Louis region.

The project is being developed by veteran studio operator Chris Breakwell, founder of Pittsburgh’s 31st Street Studios, whose credits include productions such as Mindhunter, The Fault in Our Stars and The Dark Knight Rises.

Breakwell believes the St. Louis market has long been overlooked despite offering a combination of distinctive architecture, urban locations and proximity to one of the Midwest’s most competitive production incentive programs.

“Projects like Ozark and HBO’s DTF St. Louis could have been filmed here,” Breakwell said. “Our goal is to create the infrastructure that allows productions to stay in the region.”

The studio’s biggest competitive advantage may be geography. Located just across the Mississippi River from Missouri, productions based at Hollywood River Studios will have access to Illinois’ uncapped Film Production Tax Credit, which provides a 35 percent transferable credit on qualified spending. The incentive, extended through 2039, helped drive a record $703 million in production expenditures across Illinois in 2025.

While much of that activity has traditionally been concentrated in Chicago, Breakwell sees an opportunity for southern Illinois to emerge as a lower-cost alternative for television series, independent films and streaming productions.

Missouri also operates a production incentive program offering credits starting at 20percent, creating the possibility for projects to utilize production resources on both sides of the state line.

The first phase of Hollywood River Studios is expected to include four 21,000-square-foot soundstages primarily designed for television production, along with a 10,000-square-foot esports facility. A second phase, slated to begin after the initial build-out, would add a 40,000-square-foot stage designed to accommodate larger feature productions.

The development sits on a 105-acre site acquired earlier this year and could eventually expand beyond its initial footprint. Breakwell has indicated that, if demand materializes, the campus could nearly double in size, pushing total investment toward $95 million.

In addition to the soundstages, Hollywood River Studios has secured access to a 50,000-square-foot facility in nearby Granite City that will serve as a production base camp, housing equipment, trucks and support services for location filming throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Industry observers say the facility could help strengthen the region’s production ecosystem by complementing existing infrastructure rather than competing directly with it. Gateway Studios & Production Services, which opened in Chesterfield in 2025, is largely focused on music and live production, leaving an opportunity for Hollywood River Studios to target episodic television and scripted film projects.

The studio is projected to support between 300 and 500 jobs once operational, adding to a growing list of regional production investments as states across the U.S. continue competing for film and television spending.

For Breakwell, the vision extends beyond soundstages and tax credits.

Pittsburgh transformed itself into a recognized production center over the last two decades through a combination of infrastructure investment and state incentives. He believes the St. Louis region has the potential to follow a similar trajectory.

“I’d like to see the same thing happen to St. Louis that happened to Pittsburgh,” Breakwell said. “It brings jobs, attracts investment and changes the perception of a city.”