Georgia has ranked #2 in US film production by some metrics, and it continues to steal hundreds of productions from California every year [1].
Last year Georgia was host to nearly 500 movies and TV shows [2], and has been extensively used for some of the biggest hits and blockbusters: Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther, Stranger Things, The Waking Dead, Ozark, Halt and Catch Fire, etc.
Disney, Marvel, and Netflix have major productions here. Winona Ryder was even my downstairs neighbor for a bit during the Stranger Things shoot.
Last year they built a fake White Castle a few blocks from me and then tore it down about a month later [3]. It was so disappointing as everyone was hoping for a real White Castle.
Georgia doesn't "steal" business from California. The vast majority of the production houses in those productions are California centered with California staff, and many of the actors fly out to Georgia to film their on set scenes.
It helps local business in Georgia during filming and gives local talent a chance, but the majority of the money still flows back to California. Same goes for Germany, Vancouver, Croatia and all the other places that offer subsidies for filming there. Movie productions are ephemeral and exist temporarily, it's not like having a major corporation headquartered in your town.
> The vast majority of the production houses in those productions are California centered with California staff, and many of the actors fly out to Georgia to film their on set scenes.
That's how it started, but we're well past that point.
IATSE folks are buying homes here and staying put. I know dozens of them. One of the Marvel DPs moved to my building, and this is his only residence. I also know several ADs that now call Atlanta home. There are thousands of permanent LA transplants.
Many of the top-billing actors own homes in and around the Atlanta area. Some of them now spend the majority of their time here.
We're seeing entire studio villages -- thousands of acres of lot construction -- spring up everywhere. Companies at all stages of the production cycle are now headquartered here to live alongside their staff.
This isn't ephemeral. Y'allywood passed critical mass, and it's growing. The people are here to stay. I know because I work in film tech and I've talked to lots of these folks.
Ground breaking CGI used to be a selling point because you do things that weren't before possible.
Nowadays everything is more or less possible in CGI and it has lost its appeal a bit. Now it's appealing to advertise the fact you're doing things for real.
It's under construction, but close to completion.