When I first moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in January, 1999, one of the tourist destinations I visited was in Tucson. Old Tucson Studios produced LOTS of old western movies, and some new ones. It was built in 1939! When you think of those westerns, dusty scenes come to mind, with scrub brush, cactus, zero trees, and hills. Ergo Arizona!
But now, Acacia Filmed Entertainment is reported to be building a massive studio location in "Phoenix." The project is on 70 acres with 624,000 sq ft of office space and 14 stages! Local news shares that the site will be very near Talking Stick Resort and Casino which is in Scottsdale on the Salt River Pima Indian reservation . The new studio will house a "giant 60,000 square foot stage." Reports are that the stage is going to be one of the largest in the world.
There's also going to be another Movie Production facility to be built in Buckeye, Arizona, "Desert Studios Complex." Buckeye is in the far west section of the Phoenix metro area.
In anticipation of this new movie studio, legislation was passed effective 2023 titled the Arizona Motion Picture Production Program bill. This new project qualifies for the highest level of tax incentives available. Smart business move!
There isn't much available, other than the above articles, of the to-be-built studios, but you can check out the past!
It wouldn't be fitting to mention new studios unless the original movie studios in Arizona are mentioned. Tucson was the first city in Arizona to host movie studios of many of the famous westerns you've seen in the past.
Check out the history of film making in Tucson, AZ. Old Tucson Studios was built in 1933! You'll recognize MANY famous stars in this video, and don't forget the original 1872 "The Reno" featured in dozens of television shows and movies.
The Old Tucson Studios burnt to the ground in 1995, but has since been resurrected in 1997!-
If you're visiting Scottsdale, reach out to me to learn about the housing industry!
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