What happens in Vegas might just reshape the future of film production. Two competing studio developments are now vying to turn Las Vegas into the next major production hub—but they’re pitching two very different visions.
Just a few months ago, it seemed like a unified blockbuster partnership was forming. In February, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines when they announced plans to jointly develop a 31-acre studio complex in Summerlin, backed by Assembly Bill 238. But fast-forward to April, and the plot has taken a sharp twist: Warner Bros. has exited that partnership, and a new player—the MBS Group—has stepped into the spotlight on an entirely different site.
Two Projects, Two Philosophies
Project One: Summerlin Studios
Partners: Sony Pictures Entertainment + Howard Hughes Corp.
Legislation: AB238
Location: 31-acre site in Summerlin, just off the 215
Credits: $105 million annually, starting 2028
Focus: Traditional film and TV production campus, with an educational component
This is classic Hollywood: shovel-ready land, marquee studio names, and a straightforward goal of attracting high-volume productions with a hefty tax credit carrot. It’s big, flashy, and well-backed—but squarely focused on production.
Rendering of Summerlan Studios
Project Two: Nevada Studios at UNLV
Partners: MBS Group + Birtcher Development
Legislation: SB220
Location: UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park
Credits: $98 million annually, nearly 20 years
Focus: Studio + tech and education campus, with deep integration into Nevada’s broader economy
With Warner Bros. stepping away, MBS Group has stepped in, bringing a global footprint and a track record of managing soundstages worldwide. What’s more, this isn’t just a studio campus. The Nevada Studios plan includes the Nevada Media and Technology Lab —a $50 million facility for education and job training in creative tech, gaming, AI, aerospace, and virtual production.
Rendering of Nevada Film Studios at UNLV
The New Direction: Education, Innovation, and Diversification
Senator Roberta Lange, who has long championed the Nevada studio incentives, is now positioning SB220 as more than just a production play. “We’re not just breaking ground on buildings,” she told the legislature. “We are laying a foundation for careers, discoveries, and building a diversified economy that lifts everyone.”
The UNLV-based project would generate:
3,000 jobs during its 30-month build-out
8,800 permanent jobs once operational
$166 million in educational and vocational training opportunities over 18 years
$320 million in ground lease payments to the UNLV Research Foundation
It also adds the Creative Technology Initiative (CTI) to the mix, signaling a broader push into future-facing sectors like aerospace, AI, and video game publishing.
So Where Do Things Stand?
Today, AB238 and SB220 represent two competing studio visions:
One rooted in traditional studio infrastructure (Sony in Summerlin)
The other aiming to redefine what a film studio can be (MBS at UNLV)
