Film Boom In OKC: Oklahoma City Hosts Record Surge in Film Production

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City’s film sector is experiencing an unprecedented surge,

with film projects set to be in production simultaneously. This milestone wave of activity, spanning high-profile studio productions and independent features, highlights Oklahoma City's rising status as a premier destination for both major studio features and independent filmmaking.

The current production pipeline includes one feature actively filming and two more scheduled to roll cameras this month. "Copperhead," a crime thriller starring Miles Teller and Jason Momoa, is currently filming in the city. Two additional projects began filming Oct. 19: "Pipecleaner Boy," starring Abigail Breslin, and "His Heart," starring Esai Morales and Kelsey Grammer. A fourth major project, "The Effigy," is targeting a November production start.

Ranking No. 18 in the nation for film incentives, the city's competitive edge centers on its

standout rebate incentives. While the State of Oklahoma offers a 20% to 30% rebate, the City of Oklahoma City provides an additional 5% to 10% rebate. Because these municipal and state incentives are stackable, productions can combine them for a total rebate of up to 40% when filming in OKC. According to Jill Simpson, executive director of the Oklahoma City Film & Creative Industries Office, this local incentive has been the decisive factor in drawing top-tier productions to the city.

"In the case of 'Twisters' and 'Copperhead,' the OKC rebate was the linchpin that landed the

films in Oklahoma," Simpson said. "Early on, Black Label Media, producers of 'Copperhead,'

were planning to film in Fort Worth. The additional rebate offered by OKC was the deciding

factor that landed both films here. Both were big wins for Oklahoma and Oklahoma City, netting huge financial returns for us."

That activity is generating substantial economic returns. A $4 million commitment of city rebate funds has generated $108 million in direct expenditures and a total economic impact of $373.8 million for Oklahoma City.

Securing major productions is only part of the mission for the Oklahoma City Film & Creative

Industries Office. To ensure incoming sets have immediate access to qualified, local crews, OKC Film partners with higher education and career tech leaders across the metro to allow local talent to build sustainable, long-term film careers without leaving Oklahoma City. As statewide film industry employment grows 56.2% and wages surge 135%, building a robust workforce pipeline is essential to transforming OKC from a filming location into a permanent regional production hub. "It's not just about securing films, it's about making sure that when productions arrive in Oklahoma City, they have a ready, skilled workforce to get the job done," Simpson said. "We partner with more than 10 workforce training programs to ensure the money these companies bring to OKC is directly invested back into our local workers and businesses."

To date, Oklahoma City has prequalified 16 projects, with two more under consideration. Ten of those project applications were received in the last nine months alone, reflecting the increasing interest in filming in the region.