Utah continues to attract major productions while expanding opportunities statewide through rural filming
From Cole Stenzel, love.communications
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Jan. 21, 2026 — The Utah Film Commission is celebrating another milestone year for Utah’s film and television industry, following a successful year defined by major productions, local talent and continued expansion of productions filming across rural communities statewide.
In 2025 alone, the Utah Motion Picture Incentive Program enabled 36 productions to film across 14 Utah counties, generating over $136 million in production spending and creating more than 2,600 jobs for Utahns. Utah welcomed major productions this year, including HBO’s Mountainhead, filmed in and around Park City, the CBS Original television series Marshals, filmed in Summit and Wasatch counties and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, filmed in Moab. Utah’s creative economy continues to grow through local leadership, with more than 40 percent of productions this year created by homegrown talent and local production companies.
“We’ve cultivated a thriving ecosystem of talent, infrastructure and incentives that will continue to attract filmmakers and productions to our beautiful state,” said Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission. “We remain focused on investing in a strong film industry, one that drives our creative economy and inspires the next generation of artists and audiences. We believe that Utah is a place full of innovation and creativity. We want to see that thrive and grow organically.”
Utah’s commitment to rural film production continues through the Rural Utah Film Incentive, which over the past four years has helped productions spend more than $200 million in rural communities. Utah is now officially film-ready statewide, with all 29 counties prepared to support productions with locations, local coordination and community readiness.
“Choosing Utah was one of the best decisions we made in setting up our film,” said Jay Roewe, senior vice president of HBO Global Incentives and Production Planning (Mountainhead). “The scale and scope offered in its beautiful landscapes and uniquely modern locations have allowed us to seamlessly tell our larger-than-life story with the backdrop it deserves. We are grateful for the wonderful support of the Utah Film Commission, including the film incentive and outstanding local crew, and look forward to this being a very special and successful production.”
With continued investment in incentives, infrastructure, education, and rural readiness, Utah is positioned to remain a top destination for filmmakers while creating long-term economic diversification and opportunity for communities across the state.
Additional quotes from Utah-based and studio leaders can be found here.
About the Utah Film Commission
As part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Utah Office Tourism, the Utah Film Commission formed in 1974 markets the entire state as a destination for film, television, and commercial production by promoting the use of professional local crew and talent, support services, Utah locations, and the Motion Picture Incentive Program. The office also serves as a liaison to the film industry, facilitating production needs across the state.
Thousands of productions have been filmed in Utah over the last century, including John Ford’s “The Searchers,” “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Forrest Gump,” and most recently Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts”. Many episodic series have also been filmed in Utah, such as “Westworld,” “Yellowstone”, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” and the highly anticipated CBS Original television series, “Marshals.”