Summerlin Studios: 31-acre film hub in Las Vegas hinges on bill approval
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Warner Bros. Discovery is joining Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes Holdings to develop a 31-acre film hub in Las Vegas, the companies announced Wednesday morning.
The project, dubbed Summerlin Studios, would be a 31-acre production facility that would include 'multiple stages and related buildings, capabilities and infrastructure.' It would be constructed within a planned 100-acre mixed-use development area. The facility is expected to be constructed near Town Center Drive and Flamingo Road on a parcel of land owned by Howard Hughes Holdings.
The project hinges on Assembly Bill 238 being approved by the Nevada Legislature. The Nevada Studio Infrastructure Jobs and Workforce Training Act would provide $80 million in film tax credits from 2028 to 2043 and require at least $400 million to be invested in Nevada.
The bill is sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, who set high expectations for the project.
'The investments Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes expect to make, in terms of infrastructure, education and workforce development, could create nearly 18,000 jobs and produce a whole new industry in Nevada,' Jauregui said in a news release.
The proposed tax credits are contingent on a $400 million capital investment and the completion of Summerlin Studios before those tax credits are earned. Assembly Bill 238 is expected to be amended to reflect details of the Summerlin Studios project ahead of its Thursday hearing. Additionally, to receive the tax credit, 50 percent of a film's shoot would be required to take place in Nevada, and the production would need to be completed within 18 months of the first day of principal photography.
Warner Bros. Discovery was previously part of a separate bill in the 2023 legislative session, a proposal to construct a film studio at UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park sponsored by Democratic State Sen. Roberta Lange. Lange later said the legislation was not part of the Warner Bros. Discovery's vision. It's unclear what parts of this bill, including educational aspects of the legislation, will be added to the Assembly Bill.
Warner Bros. claimed three of the top 25 box office hits of 2024, including Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Dune: Part Two, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. That trio of films earned a reported $772 million at the box office. At the same time, the Sony-distributed Bad Boys: Ride or Die, It Ends With Us, Venom: The Last Dance, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire all cracked the top 25, reportedly taking in nearly $600 million.
The companies claim that the Summerlin Studios project will create tens of thousands of new jobs with an annual economic impact of more than $3 billion. AB238 is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday in the Assembly Revenue Committee.
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