A $267 million film, television, and streaming studio is coming to South Texas soon.
Hill Country Studios will be named after the Hill Country Group, which will create and run the studio. It will be the first film studio of its kind in Texas and will be built in San Marcos, a central location between San Antonio and Austin.
The studio’s centerpiece is a pair of identical virtual production stages with a 75-foot diameter performance space, making it one of the largest spaces of its kind in North America.
A virtual studio contains TV and film production technology in which LED panels are used as a background on which video or computer-generated imagery can be displayed. A virtual production set can be made to closely resemble the appearance of a realistic set or outdoor location.
For more traditional filming methods, Hill Country Studios will contain 12 sound stages, two backlots with 15 acres of outdoor filming space, and four workshops.
Additionally, 310,000 square feet of modular office space will be constructed, as well as post-production facilities and collaborative workplace amenities.
The area will also feature a movie theatre with 50 seats. The complex will have a full-service restaurant and coffee shop, in addition to 25 acres dedicated to vendor space intended to serve both the studio and the community at large.
Co-founder and Hill Country Studios CEO Cory McLoud said, “What started as a dream to elevate the production industry in Texas is now becoming a reality. Recognizing the revolutionary potential of virtual production, Hill Country Studios aims to place the film industry in the epicenter of the innovation corridor in Texas.”
“We couldn’t think of a better place to propel the entertainment industry with a world-class studio space than our own backyard,” McLoud said.
The completed project will bring 44 full-time employees to the area, as well as 1,400 seasonal employees, the City of San Marcos said.
The economic benefits for the city are not limited to employees, however, as the complex will provide contract work to lumber suppliers, plumbers, electricians, caterers, dry cleaners, and tailors, among many other professions.
The studio complex is expected to have a limited environmental impact as well. Country Hill is predicted to provide a Water Pollution Abatement Plan to the city before the project is complete.
Electric vehicle charging stations and a community bike program are other ideas currently in the planning stages.
The project is expected to break ground in April of 2023, and construction will consist of three stages. The estimated date of completion is August 2025.