Warner Bros. Discovery and Birtcher Development announced they will no longer work together for the construction of a 34-acre film campus in southern Nevada.
Warner Bros. claimed it is still looking to build studios in the Silver State and will most likely partner with other real estate companies to make it happen. This project benefits from a potential film tax credit program, which can provide up to $95M in annual tax credits for the construction of infrastructure.
Warner Bros. announced its proposed studio in August and claimed it would invest $8.5B in spending if it were to receive support from the tax program. Warner Bros. previously partnered with the University of Nevada Las Vegas to build the studio at its Harry Reid Research and Technology Park.
Bills for increased film tax credits were originally introduced in 2023 but did not make it to a floor vote. Updated versions of the bills with tax credit amounts reduced to $95M are to be introduced this year. The new bills will also include a stipulation requiring the studios to build spaces for vocational training, internships and workforce development. As of now, only $10M is available in annual film tax credits.
State senators claimed the new legislation is a way to diversify the state’s economy and spur workforce development.
When Warner Bros. originally announced its Warner Bros. Studios Nevada project, it stated it would be able to create 7,500 jobs in the area. Of those jobs, half would be in production and the other half would be ancillary. The Warner Bros. studio could break ground in 2027.
Birtcher is still looking into the construction of a Nevada studio. The company stated it will partner with Manhattan Beach Studios. Sony and Howard Hughes Corp. are also looking into the construction of a Nevada studio.
Sony and Howard Hughes received zoning approval for a $1.8B studio/mixed-use development on Town Center Drive near 215 Beltway. A construction timeline has yet to be announced.
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