Houston Film Commission releases five-year plan to double major productions and build 30,000-square-foot soundstage by 2030

The Houston Film Commission released a five-year plan this week to make Houston the leading center for film and television production in Texas. The plan calls for doubling the number of major productions filmed in the city each year and developing a fully operational studio campus by 2030.

The plan focuses on expanding financial incentives, training local workers, building production infrastructure, streamlining filming permits and improving access to locations. It also directs the commission to market Houston more aggressively to producers.

The commission did not say how much the plan would cost or where the funding would come from.

Alfred Cervantes, executive director of the Houston Film Commission, said Texas and the Houston region are in the strongest position they have ever been in for motion picture production.

State lawmakers increased film incentives last year, and Houston created its own incentive program in the fall. Since then, seven productions have received nearly $400,000 in city incentives, according to Houston First. The agency said those projects generated more than $61 million in estimated economic impact.

The productions included Netflix's "Mo," Tyler Perry Studios' "As Love Is" and a documentary about Mattress Mack.

Houston First also reported that film and video productions generated an estimated $23.4 million in economic impact from January through August. That figure is nearly double the $11.8 million recorded during the same period last year.

Cervantes said Houston lost two high-profile projects before the new incentives took effect. "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" was set in Houston but filmed primarily in Atlanta, while "Hit Man," based on a true Houston story, filmed in Louisiana.

"That one really hurt," Cervantes said of "Hit Man."

He said an influx of film professionals moved to Houston after the pandemic. He also pointed to the range of locations available within a 60-mile radius, including skyscrapers, beaches and wooded areas that can be used for jungle scenes.

The commission's next major step is pursuing a banking partnership in 2027 to offer loans backed by state film incentives. The commission also plans to advance work on studio and soundstage facilities.

Cervantes said the city needs a soundproofed soundstage with about 30,000 square feet of column-free space, which Houston does not currently have.

He said more filming is expected in Houston this fall.