Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ and ‘Yellowstone’s’ Taylor Sheridan will film in Utah

Kevin Costner is coming to Utah – and he’s joined by Taylor Sheridan of “Yellowstone” fame, Clive Owen who stars in a new FX series, and “Napoleon Dynamite” co-writer Jerusha Hess.

They are among 13 productions approved Thursday by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity under Utah’s recently restructured rural tax incentive program that will bring in about $142.5 million to the state.

Among them is Costner’s long-awaited western “Horizon: An American Saga,” a five-part series the actor says will pump an estimated $50 million into rural Utah.

In a February statement, Costner said Utah had always been his ideal location for the series and lobbied lawmakers to pass SB49, an increased tax incentive that would make the state more attractive for productions. of this caliber.

“I had long dreamed of making my film in Utah and exploring this state was an incredible experience. My greatest hope is that the state will support SB49 and make this dream come true. I don’t really want to go anywhere else with these five movies,” Costner said.

Passed in the last legislative session, the state film production amendment bill exempts rural productions from the limits of the state’s annual tax incentive program.

According to the governor’s office, rural Utah will see 90% of the expected funds come from the 13 productions.

It wasn’t an easy bill to pass through the Legislature — some lawmakers opposed what they called a “Hollywood millionaires and billionaires document,” and it stalled in the House until in the last week of the session. It was eventually passed by the House on a vote of 50 to 22 and the Senate with seven objections.

The prior state incentive, capped at $8.3 million per year, was deemed inadequate by film industry stakeholders. When Utah had several major productions vying for a discount — as was the case with “Yellowstone” and the Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” remake — the cap limited what each show could receive, regardless of the price. amount spent.

Despite receiving around $7 million in rebates for previous seasons, the bribe available for “Yellowstone” Season 4 was considerably lower. So Paramount packed up and moved to Montana, ending a three-year production that dumped nearly $80 million in Heber City, Oakley, Kamas, Grantsville and Logan.

But now Sheridan, the mastermind behind the popular modern western, is returning to Utah to film an untitled series, according to the governor’s office.

To be eligible for a rebate, the production must submit its budget for review by the Utah Film Commission. It is then recommended to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, which approves the budget. Once the production has actually spent the money, it is vetted before it is eligible for the rebate.

Film productions in Utah are often hailed as economic boons, with immediate impacts felt in the hospitality, construction, and outdoor industries. The economic benefits often go beyond what can be quantified in a refund. Sometimes the cast or crew buy homes in the state, come back for a ski vacation, post on social media — Costner even hired a hunting guide.

San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams, who met with Costner while scouting locations for “Horizon,” applauded the news Thursday in a statement.

“Once these film companies and employees are here, the dollars they spend at our local hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations will spread even further and bring much-needed economic activity to rural parts of the state that depend on it. need most,” he said. said.

The productions, which are scheduled for Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, FX/Hulu, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and a theatrical release, are:

“Alma Richards: Raising the Bar”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $879,108.
• Location: Utah County.
• Independent broadcast.

“Cub”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $1,107,114.
• Locations: Sanpete County.
• Distribution to be determined.

“The Chosen: Season 3”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $1,400,327.
• Location: Utah County.
• Independent broadcast.

“Dark Highway”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $4,004,367.
• Locations: Emery, Juab and San Juan counties.
• Independent broadcast.

“Hondo”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $10,271,416.
• Location: Tooele County.
• Distributed on Amazon Prime.

“Horizon: an American saga”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $53,925,008.
• Locations: Emery, Grand, Kane, San Juan and Washington counties.
• Distribution to be determined.

“Joy to the World”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $8,300,000.
• Locations to be determined.
• Distribution to be determined.

“Recipe for Love”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $328,268.
• Locations: Salt Lake, Utah counties.
• Independent broadcast.

“Retirement: Season 1”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $1,407,920.
• Locations: Emery, Grand and Tooele counties.
• Distributed on FX/Hulu.

“Series”

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $183,500.
• Locations: Salt Lake and Weber counties.
• Independent broadcast.

Unnamed “Green Beans” show

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $10,700,000.
• Locations to be determined.
• Distributed on Apple TV+.

untitled movie

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $9,966,336.
• Locations to be determined.
• Distributed on Nickelodeon.

Taylor Sheridan Untitled Series

• Estimated expenses in Utah: $40,000,000.
• Locations: Summit and Wasatch counties.
• Distributed on Paramount+.