Paramount’s ‘Y: Marshals’ Leads $57M Production Wave in the Beehive State

A wave of fresh productions is heading to Utah, as the state doubles down on its film incentive strategy. Among the newly approved projects receiving tax credits is Y: Marshals, a spinoff of the blockbuster Yellowstone franchise, set to star Luke Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton.

The announcement, made Friday by the Utah Film Commission, includes four productions in total, which are expected to generate approximately $57.4 million in local economic impact and create more than 380 jobs across Salt Lake, Summit, Wasatch and Uintah counties.

Y: Marshals marks a homecoming of sorts. While Yellowstone originally filmed in Utah for three seasons, the series moved to Montana in pursuit of more competitive tax incentives—prompting Utah lawmakers to revise their incentive structure, particularly to attract rural-based shoots. The new installment will be produced by Paramount Global and carries a reported $52 million budget. Principal photography will begin this fall in Summit County.

“Utah is such a draw for film and television because of its diverse landscapes, fantastic crews, and amazing, knowledgeable film office,” said Adam Morra, VP of Planning and Finance at Paramount Global. “There is no doubt, though, the film incentive is a vital and necessary part of the package.”

Also greenlit for incentives is the seventh season of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, the History Channel’s long-running docuseries exploring paranormal phenomena at the infamous Uintah County location. That series, filming exclusively in a rural county, qualifies for the state’s rural film tax credit and comes with a $3.2 million production budget.

Independent feature Keep Coming Back, directed and produced by Mark Rosman (A Cinderella Story), will shoot across Wasatch and Summit counties with a $1.8 million budget. Rosman praised the state’s seasoned crews and close proximity to Los Angeles, adding, “When it came to picking a state to shoot the film, it was natural to look at Utah.”

Rounding out the slate is Freshman Inventors, a competition series from Netflix showcasing next-gen tech innovators. The unscripted project will film in Salt Lake County with a $300,000 budget and will receive support through Utah’s Community Film Incentive Program.

A Two-Tiered Incentive Strategy

Utah’s Motion Picture Incentive Program offers a refundable tax credit of up to 25% on qualified expenditures, with set-asides for productions that shoot in rural counties or originate locally.

The Rural Film Incentive earmarks $12 million annually for projects that shoot at least 75% of production days in qualifying counties—Y: Marshals, Skinwalker Ranch, and Keep Coming Back all fall under this category.

Meanwhile, the Community Film Incentive Program offers a 20% post-performance cash rebate for Utah-originated projects with budgets between $100,000 and $500,000, with a goal of nurturing emerging filmmakers.

The combined approach appears to be working. With major streamers and established IPs returning to the state—and independents taking advantage of regional support—Utah’s evolving production infrastructure is positioning itself as a Western outpost with both creative range and competitive appeal.