You’ve seen the yellow signs. Those neon "EXODUS" or "CP" placards taped to telephone poles near the BeltLine or tucked away in a gravel lot in Douglasville. If you live here, they’re just part of the scenery, like the humidity or the traffic on the Downtown Connector. But if you’re looking at filming in Atlanta now, things feel... different.
The "Hollywood of the South" isn't exactly a ghost town, but it’s definitely not the frantic, gold-rush frenzy of 2022. Honestly, it’s more like a reset. The giant soundstages at Trilith and Assembly Atlanta are still humming, but the projects are leaner. The vibes are more "strategic business" and less "Netflix is handing out blank checks."
The State of the Set: What's Actually Shooting?
Right now, as we move through January 2026, the Georgia Film Office has about 25 active productions on the books. That sounds like a lot until you realize that back in the peak days, we were regularly pushing 40 or 50. It's the "new normal."
One of the biggest names currently taking up space is Glen Powell. He’s back for Season 2 of Chad Powers over at Hulu. It’s that football comedy that basically everyone in metro Atlanta seems to have a "my cousin was an extra" story about. Then you’ve got the heavy hitters like Paramount's The Rescue, a modern Western starring Yellowstone alums Hassie Harrison and Brandon Sklenar, which is setting up shop in Alpharetta.
And yeah, Netflix is still the king of the cul-de-sac. They’re deep into All the Sinners Bleed and prepping that A Different World reboot that’s supposed to start at the HBCUs next month.
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Current High-Profile Productions
- Chad Powers (Season 2): Shooting around metro Atlanta; Glen Powell is essentially a local resident at this point.
- The Rescue: Paramount’s rodeo thriller; check for signs around Alpharetta through March.
- A Different World: The reboot is hitting Clark Atlanta and Morehouse campuses soon.
- Road House 2: Jake Gyllenhaal’s sequel has been spotted taking over parts of Savannah, but the production office footprint is still very much an Atlanta thing.
Why the "Slowdown" Isn't Actually a Slump
If you talk to the crew members—the grips, the electrics, the folks at IATSE 479—they’ll tell you the industry is "shaky." It’s true. The 2023 strikes were a gut punch, and the recovery has been a slow climb. But there’s a bigger shift happening.
Studios are tightening their belts. They aren't just filming in Atlanta because they love the peaches; they’re doing it because of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act. But even that is evolving. Starting January 1, 2026, the state brought back the standalone post-production tax credit. This is a huge deal. It means a movie could be shot in London or New York, but if they do the editing, VFX, and sound mixing in a place like the new Whiskytree facility in Alpharetta, they still get a 20% credit.
Basically, Georgia is trying to move from being "the place with the cool buildings" to "the place where the whole movie gets finished."
The Tax Credit Drama No One Talks About
You might have heard whispers about the "Gold Dome" (the Georgia State Capitol) eyeing the film tax credit. It happens every legislative session. There’s always a push to cap the credit, which is currently uncapped and costs the state over $1 billion annually.
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Legislators like Bill Tillery and others have been debating HB 475 and HB 129. These bills aren't trying to kill the industry—that would be economic suicide—but they are adding "guardrails." They want more audits and more transparency. For a producer filming in Atlanta now, this means your paperwork better be perfect. You can’t just wing it anymore. The days of "easy money" are being replaced by "audited money."
The Soundstage Paradox
We have more stage space than almost anywhere on Earth. Since 2010, we’ve gone from 45,000 square feet to over 4.5 million. Places like Assembly Atlanta in Doraville (the old GM plant) and BlueStar Studios are massive.
But here’s the weird part: some of that space is being looked at for data centers. Why? Because while we have the stages, the volume of TV series has dipped. California recently beefed up its own incentives specifically to steal back TV shows. So, Atlanta is leaning more into big-budget features—like James Gunn’s DC projects—rather than the "monster-of-the-week" procedurals that used to keep crews working year-round.
How to Navigate the Industry in 2026
If you’re trying to get on a set or just curious about the local impact, you have to be more nimble. The industry isn't just "Marvel and everyone else" anymore.
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Actionable Tips for Locals and Newcomers
- Diversify your skills: The new post-production credits mean there’s a massive demand for VFX and sound editors. If you're only a PA, you’re competing with thousands. If you can use a high-end editing suite, you’re golden.
- Watch the "Uplift": Productions get an extra 10% credit if they use the "Georgia Peach" logo. If you’re a local vendor, lean into that. Show how your services help them meet the "qualified expenditure" requirements.
- Follow the signs (literally): Use the Georgia Film Office’s "Now Filming" tracker, but remember it’s not always 100% real-time. Production companies often use code names like "Exodus" for Superman to keep crowds away.
- Look outside the Perimeter: Savannah and Columbus are aggressively courting the indies. If Atlanta feels too crowded or "corporate," those smaller hubs are offering grants—like Film Columbus’s $25k filmmaker grants—that are much easier for non-studio folks to snag.
The reality of filming in Atlanta now is that the "honeymoon phase" of the 2010s is over. We’re in a mature, somewhat volatile market. It’s less about the glitz of seeing a celebrity at Whole Foods in Buckhead and more about the grit of maintaining a multi-billion dollar infrastructure during a global content correction.
If you're planning a production, focus on the 2026 post-production incentives to maximize your return. For crew, the work is there, but you’ve got to be more proactive than ever. The signs are still up, the cameras are still rolling, but the game has definitely changed.
Next Steps:
- Verify your project's eligibility for the new 2026 post-production 20% base credit through the Georgia Department of Revenue.
- Register with the Georgia Production Directory if you are a local vendor to ensure you are visible to the current wave of Paramount and Netflix productions.
- Check the latest mandatory audit requirements for any project with a spend over $500,000 to avoid delays in credit certification.