Illinois Touts State Filming Tax Credit as New Studio Facility Breaks Ground

A soundstage facility broke ground in Illinois this week, with its owner and Gov. JB Pritzker touting the state’s generous tax credit as a key reason for its existence.

When it’s finished, Hollywood River Studios will feature six soundstages with 144,000 square feet of production space along with an office building and warehouse facilities. The facility is in Wood River, Illinois, about 15 miles north of (and across the Mississippi River from) St. Louis, Missouri.

“Last year, Illinois had more than $700 million in film and television production spending: real dollars going to Illinois businesses and workers, supporting our economy,” Pritzker said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Hollywood River Studios is adding an important piece to that ecosystem, projecting hundreds of permanent jobs once the development is fully built out, and hundreds more as the campus is developed. That means more people working in the entertainment industry without having to leave the region to tell their stories.”

Pritzker and Hollywood River Studios founder and CEO Christopher Breakwell both touted the state’s production tax credit at the groundbreaking. Illinois offers a 35 percent credit for qualified in-state production spending, plus an additional 5 percent on resident wages outside the Chicago area (Wood River qualifies for that boost) and a further 5 percent for certified green productions.

The possibility of a federal production tax credit also factored into the decision to begin construction on the Wood River facility, the principals noted.

Hollywood River Studios plans to have some facilities ready to house productions by late 2027. Construction firm Spantech is fabricating the stages offsite and will assemble them on location, allowing for a relatively fast build.