Georgia Ranks No. 1 In Film Production With Perry, 'Ozark,' More

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia has ranked No. 1 in film production by the Business Facilities Magazine. The top ranking is featured in the publication’s annual 2020 Rankings Report.

Despite film production shutdowns in Georgia and around the world during COVID-19, the 234 film and television productions that filmed in Georgia during fiscal year 2020 spent $2.2 billion in the state, putting it on pace for another record-setting year before the COVID-19 response paused productions, according to the report.

Since this pause, productions in the state are beginning to restart again with at least 20 currently in production or filming prep.

RELATED: Tyler Perry's Atlanta 'Camp Quarantine' Kept Production Going

“Georgia takes the crown in our new Film Production Leaders category, ranking the states that are the top locations for motion picture and TV production,” wrote Business Facilities Magazine.

Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement thanking the publication.

“Our production numbers show Georgia was on pace for another record year for film before COVID-19, and they confirm that Georgia continues to lead the way in film production,” he said. “The film industry has had a significant impact in communities across the Peach State, and this top ranking puts a spotlight on the hardworking Georgians who are the real faces of this great industry.”

In June, Kemp announced that major motion picture, television, and streaming companies would begin to resume production activity in Georgia, planning to bring back and hire an estimated 40,000 production workers, who will be employed on an expected seventy-five production projects that will invest over $2 billion into the Georgia economy during the next eighteen months.

This week, Georgia-lensed productions tallied nearly 50 nominations from the Television Academy’s Emmys nominated, including “Watchmen,” “Ozark,” “Stranger Things,” “Love is Blind,” “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Broken Bones,” and “The Outsider’s” guest actor Jason Bateman.

HBO’s limited series “Watchmen,” and Netflix's hit “Stranger Things” also earned Peabody Awards in June. Only 30 of 1,300 submissions receive the Peabody Award, which the Board of Jurors bestows on content judged to be the “most compelling and empowering” of the year.