The planned six-stage development pairs new production infrastructure with Illinois’ expanded film incentives, giving the St. Louis region a bigger role in the competition for Hollywood business. Illinois is putting more than a tax incentive behind its pitch to Hollywood. It is putting soundstages in the ground. Hollywood River Studios broke ground October 5 in […]
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StageRunner has confirmed that Jon Crowley is no longer with the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, where he served as executive director during a period of substantial growth for the state’s film and television industry. Given New Jersey’s success since Crowley stepped into the role, his departure is something of a head-scratcher. During […]
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David Ellison’s plans for Paramount are becoming clearer through the people he is putting around him. A product executive from Facebook. An incoming co-CEO who helped turn Mattel’s brands into a Hollywood business. And, increasingly, HBO’s programming leadership at the center of a much larger streaming operation. With the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition expected to […]
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Three original films. Three major stars. Three very different financial propositions. Tom Cruise’s Digger opened to an estimated $8 million domestically against a production budget reportedly approved at $125 million, we hear it was closer to $180 million with production overages. Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast cost a reported $82 million. Robert Pattinson’s Primetime cost approximately $15 million and opened […]
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There’s plenty of conversation in the global production community about where the work is going. Right now, New York has a pretty good answer. Production spending in the state climbed 57% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, reaching nearly $1.06 billion, while the number of projects shooting rose 19%. In the city, filming permits […]
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By StageRunner For years, producers have faced the same calculation: a story set in America can cost less to shoot somewhere else. States have tried to close that gap with their own incentives, but they are competing against countries with national programs. A bipartisan bill introduced this week would change the calculation by adding a […]
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California is making a new play to reclaim a part of the entertainment business that has increasingly migrated elsewhere: post-production. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 2319, creating California’s first standalone tax incentive specifically for post-production work, including picture editing, sound, music, visual effects and finishing. The initial program is small — just $10 million […]
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Cinelease is expanding its reach across the production services business with the acquisition of key Quixote assets, including grip and lighting, production supplies, portable restrooms and communications equipment. The deal, announced Tuesday, marks another step in Cinelease’s broader effort to position itself as a full-scale entertainment infrastructure platform serving film, television, live events, sports and […]
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A broad alliance of studios, unions, guilds, Jon Voight and production businesses is pressing Washington for a federal incentive. A new study outlines the potential for a substantial comeback. By Stagerunner | September 15, 2026 For American crews, the production crisis shows up in the calendar: fewer shoot days, longer gaps between calls and another […]
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California’s expanded incentives are attracting projects, but a City Hall hearing exposed the next challenge: turning special treatment for major productions into dependable service for everyone. Los Angeles can assemble a world-class crew, build almost any set and put a century of filmmaking experience behind a production. Getting that production through the city’s approval process […]
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