23 films meant $59M to Utah in 2019

More films received state incentives to shoot in Utah in 2019 than in 2018, bringing along more employment for actors and crews.

The Utah Film Commission said on its website that 23 incentivized projects last year resulted in a $59 million injection into the state’s economy and resulted in 1,500 jobs. That compares with 16 productions in 2018 that had a $63 million economic impact and more than 1,300 jobs.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}

In 2019, two major networks were shooting in Utah and 780 film permits were approved across the state, up from 550 in 2018. Productions ranged from local and out-of-state feature films to TV series and documentaries.

Content created in Utah also premiered throughout the year, including BYUtv’s “Dwight In Shining Armor,” the second season of Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” and the “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Disney+. Features such as “The Fighting Preacher” and “Out of Liberty” were theatrically released in 2019.

In 2018, the productions included documentaries, a television pilot and four series.

In 2020, Disney will film the second season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Two made-in-Utah films will premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival: “The Killing of Two Lovers,” starring Clayne Crawford, and “Nine Days,” starring Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz and Benedict Wong. Other productions filmed in Utah to watch for in 2020 include “Good Joe Bell,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Connie Britton, and “Echo Boomers,” starring Michael Shannon, as well as a thriller series titled “Wireless,” starring Tye Sheridan and Andie MacDowell.{/mprestriction}