Arts & Entertainment
Wood River, IL Film Studio Breaks Ground With 1,000+ Jobs Planned
Wood River, IL – A major film and television studio promising more than 1,000 jobs is moving forward in the Illinois Metro East, with state and local leaders breaking ground on the 110 acre Hollywood
By Natalie Rhodes · 2026-10-06T16:42:18.788Z
Wood River, IL – A major film and television studio promising more than 1,000 jobs is moving forward in the Illinois Metro East, with state and local leaders breaking ground on the 110 acre Hollywood River Studios development.
According to Gov. JB Pritzker's office, Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity on Monday to break ground on Hollywood River Studios in Wood River.
The development is expected to include six sound stages along with production spaces featuring advanced acoustics, lighting and infrastructure for major film and television projects.
State officials said Hollywood River Studios is projected to create more than 1,000 jobs , while each production could generate another 300 to 500 temporary jobs for local crews, vendors and contractors.
The project comes as Illinois reports record film production spending. According to the governor's office, film production expenditures reached a record $703 million in 2025 , supporting an estimated 18,000 industry hires.
Hollywood River Studios President and CEO Chris Breakwell said Illinois' film tax credits and other state support played a role in the company's decision to locate the facility in Wood River.
The project is also intended to expand Illinois' production industry beyond Chicago and establish the Metro East area, near St. Louis, as another destination for major productions.
Illinois has expanded its Film Production Tax Credit through 2039 and offers additional incentives for qualifying productions outside Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.
Officials did not announce an opening date in Monday's release, but said hundreds of permanent jobs are expected once the studio is fully built out.