Could Texas Replace Hollywood? Actors Are Starting To Say 'Yes'

Appearing with Fox News Channel's Jesse Watters, Hollywood legend Dennis Quaid called for Texas lawmakers to help entice the film industry to flee California for the Lone Star State.

According to Fox News, Quaid told Watters on May 12th, "We want to make Texas the film capital of the world. That's what Texas used to really have – a great film incentive program and a great film crew base. About nine or 10 years ago, I made some great movies there and [I] love working there."

 

Dennis Quaid tells Primetime why he, Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson and other actors are teaming up to ditch Hollywood to make Texas the movie capital of the world. pic.twitter.com/kkgil8SioG

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) May 12, 2023

Quaid explained to the Fox host that there is "more business-friendly" legislation coming to Texas to potentially increase funding for film-making from $40 million to as much as $300 million, which would revitalize the film industry that once flourished in the state.

"It would bring back a lot of people who moved to other states like Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, surrounding Texas, actually, and Georgia," he told Watters.

Quaid pointed out that many productions already aren't filming in California, "I can't remember the last time I made a film in California, to tell you the truth. You know, they still do their game shows there and talk shows and stuff that. Everybody films in Georgia or Oklahoma or whatever – because it doesn't matter where it's supposed to take place cause – it's cheaper."
 

 

Quaid was introduced in an ad produced for the effort by a compilation of prominent Texan actors that included Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Glen Powell, Owen Wilson, and Billy Bob Thornton (who played Davy Crockett once), and playing to the Texas audience naturally dunked on Oklahoma.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dennis Quaid (@dennisquaid)

During the ad and throughout the interview, great emphasis was placed on the potential economic benefits and jobs to Texas as Harrelson explained, "We are talking about an almost two billion dollar impact on the Texas economy!"

Quaid posted the video to Instagram with the caption, "I am calling on all Texans to contact their state representative or state senator and say you want them to vote YES on Texas Film Incentive."

On Twitter, many Texans expressed enthusiasm while others cautioned stimulating an influx of California Democrats into the majority Republican state.

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