It seems like the heyday of Hollywood South has come and gone in Louisiana. However, there may be a rebound on the horizon. Louisiana saw the film industry bubble burst a few years ago, with fewer productions taking place in the area. However, Jason Waggenspack, President of Film Louisiana, says this month alone, Louisiana has seen six film productions hit the ground. All six of those projects are either in preparation of shooting or already shooting in the area.
“We’ve got a couple of big feature films. One out in Baton Rouge, and there are five others on the ground," says Waggenspack. "There’s a Christmas show going on for Netflix, you’ve got a movie called ‘The Statement’, which is a period piece featuring well-known actors running around. It’s going to be a good time here in Louisiana for the next several months. Lots of production happening,” Waggenspack explained. This renewed interest in rejuvenating Hollywood South has many locals who worked in the film industry (and others from around the country) eyeing New Orleans for a rebound.
Louisiana began offering tax credits to lure film projects to the area around 26 years ago, which Waggenspack points to as a reason for the state being able to draw talent from across the country for quite some time now. He says the state remains in the top three when it comes to locations to shoot films due to the wide variance of the area’s natural landscape and tax incentives in place to draw production to the area.