Hollywood may be known as the hub of entertainment, especially when it comes to filming movies and TV shows. However, as productions pop up all around the country, one state that hasn't gotten as much love is Texas, and Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson and more are trying to change that. The state has been the setting and filming location for many prominent movies like Boyhood, Bottle Rocket, Selena, and even the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. However, in recent years it's migrated elsewhere. So, in order to encourage more filming in the Lone Star State, McConaughey, Owen Wilson, and others got together for a PSA to do something about it.
You would think that a state like Texas would be used for filming frequently considering its vast and beautiful landscapes. While everything is said to be bigger in Texas, the film industry hasn’t been as of late, and there's a group of actors who want to change that. So, proud Austin native and actor Glen Powell posted a video on Instagram of a PSA for “Good for Texas” about why we need more filmmaking to be done in the southern state. Take a look at this informative video below:
Other than Powell, other actors featured in the video included Texans Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, and Billy Bob Thornton (who’s actually from Arkansas but played Davy Crockett in The Alamo). The actors explained there was a time when there were incentives of hundreds of millions of dollars given towards Texas filmmaking. However, those incentives decreased over the years because it was believed the money was going to Hollywood producers. Now, those jobs have migrated to other states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and more. Now, there's new legislation that could help bring productions back to the Lone Star State, and the actors wanted to make the public aware of it to help boost the Texas economy and job market.
Whether these actors were born and raised in Texas or played Texans before, their passion for the second-largest state in the country reigns true. For example, Glen Powell has collaborated with fellow Texas native Richard Linklater on a number of movies filmed in their home state like Everybody Wants Some!!, Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood, and the upcoming movie Hitman. Owen Wilson’s film debut in Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket was filmed in various Texas locations too. And during the filming of the “Good for Texas” PSA, you can see Dennis Quaid in his deputy sheriff’s costume filming the upcoming Yellowstone TV series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which is filmed in Texas.
Of course, Matthew McConaughey is as Texan as they come as he and his wife, Camila, moved out of Hollywood and uprooted their family to Austin back in 2012 with occasional visits to California. When the Robb Elementary School shooting occurred in McConaughey’s hometown in Uvalde, the Oscar winner was one of many to speak up, and show support for those impacted by the devastating event. There was even a time the Dallas Buyers Club actor considered running for office in Texas.
So, it’s no surprise these talented actors are standing together to defend Texas filmmaking.
The PSA ends with Glen Powell and the other actors promoting House Bill 3472, which will be voted this week, and offers great incentives towards more film productions happening in the great state of Texas. PSAs like these bring great awareness to the notion that while Hollywood may be a major film production location, it’s not the only one in the United States.
Take a look at our 2023 movie releases so you’re aware of when Texan actors, directors, and productions will come to theaters this year.
