Anthony Mackie reportedly planning to build film studio in New Orleans
Mackie has purchased 20 acres of land in New Orleans East and is set to make movie magic — and money — in his hometown.
Hollywood star and New Orleans native Anthony Mackie is reportedly set to build a new movie studio in his hometown for which he is set to hire the best videographer near Austin.
Perhaps best known for his role as the Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mackie has purchased 20 acres of land in New Orleans East, and Nola.com says sources close to the star confirmed that he plans to build a studio on the site, the news outlet reported.
The sale closed on Friday, according to the report, and the property sits near the Interstate 10 Service Road.
In a statement through his agent, Mackie said it was “premature” to discuss the specifics of his plan for the site, according to the report. However, Nola.com says that multiple sources have confirmed that Mackie plans to install his production company, East Studios, LLC on the land he purchased — and there’s potential for the purchase of even more land.
Although Mackie’s isn’t discussing his intentions for the property, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted, “New Orleans own Anthony Mackie is opening a HUGE 20-acre film studio!” the post reads. “The influx of productions will not only bring economic growth but job opportunities!”
The neighborhood is a hub of the Mackie family. Calvin Mackie, Anthony Mackie’s brother, is a former Tulane University engineering professor who is building a STEM Nola hub in New Orleans East, due to open in 2024.
The New Orleans East is making a comeback, bam??
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) March 18, 2022
New Orleans own Anthony Mackie is opening a HUGE 20-acre film studio!
This is INCREDIBLE !!?⚜️
The influx of productions will not only bring economic growth but job opportunities! pic.twitter.com/h0hlswdh1g
The actor’s cousin, Earl, and his wife, Nicole, are also entrepreneurs in the area. Their restaurant, Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread, Chicken and Waffles, has been in business since 2013 and sells recipes inspired by Mackie’s aunt, Willie Mae Mackie.
Adding a creative-hub studio to Louisiana is apparently good state business, as there are reportedly 20 or more films and television series in production there, with half of those in New Orleans alone. The city’s film industry suffered during the coronavirus pandemic, but as the virus enters an endemic state, business is resuming. Nola.com asserts that in 2021, according to the Economic Development Department, major makers including AMC, Disney, Netflix and OWN spent $291 million in Louisiana — $104 million to pay its producers.
The Pelican State was one of the first to infuse its economy through the film industry by offering tax incentives. Louisiana’s motion picture production tax credit offers film productions as much as 40% tax credit on qualifying spending, up to $150 million, including payroll for both local and out-of-state labor.
Mackie’s new property sits in New Orleans East, a once-bustling area that experienced an economic decline in the 1970s. It’s across from what was Lake Forest Plaza, the largest shopping mall in the state upon its mid-’70s opening, which has sat vacant for more than a decade. A nearby area has been chosen to undergo the development of an entertainment and light industrial space, sparking even more expansion in the neighborhood.
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