Mark Wahlberg wants to create “Hollywood 2.0” in Nevada far from woke California

Actor Mark Wahlberg is struggling to create a new Hollywood in Las Vegas months after leaving his Los Angeles home to give his children a “better life”.

Wahlberg on Wednesday lobbied Nevada state lawmakers to pass a bill that would increase film production tax credits from $10 million a year to $190 million a year over of the next 20 years.

“I would love to see us build studios, create jobs and just diversify the economy,” Wahlberg said. CNBC. “I moved my last film here. I’m shooting another movie here that’s coming this summer.

The 51-year-old actor put his 12-bedroom, 20-bathroom Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $87.5million last year and bid farewell to the Golden State in hopes of giving her children a “better life” in Nevada without income tax. .

Wahlberg’s push is the latest among celebrities and states looking for new filming capital after liberal policies in California lead to high taxes, rising ‘wake-ups’, crime and homelessness. endemic shelter.

Wahlberg, who is a Christian, was one of many celebrities who left California because of the state’s myriad problems that saw few solutions.

In an interview earlier this year published by YouTube channel “Today”, he said: “[My faith] that’s all, it really got me, it allowed me so many things. God didn’t come here to save saints, He came to save sinners.

Other celebrities have also fled the Democratic state, including Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, and Matt Damon.

“I think there are so many more opportunities to create here. There’s so much growth and so much potential, it’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone to thrive,” he said.

Wahlberg has made at least two purchases in the Silver State, a $15.6 million lot on 2.5 acres in an exclusive area he plans to build, as well as a $14.5 million bungalow for live there when construction begins, according to Elite Agent.

He said fox businesshe hopes that Sin City will become Hollywood 2.0.

“We’re looking to create 10,000 jobs just for the studio,” he said.

“The average salary would be $100,000 more than it is now. We want to train people in front of and behind the camera, create jobs, especially, first and foremost, for the locals.

Nevada lawmakers must vote on theSB 496 which Nevada Democratic Senator Roberta Lange, who introduced the bill, calls “the movie bill.”

It offers up to $190 million in tax relief each year for production studios to operate in southern Nevada until 2043.

The first studio is in the Southwest Valley at Durango Drive and Sunset Road off the 215 Beltway, and called “Zone One”, would also serve as an education pipeline for UNLV film students through a center $8 million training program on site.

Plans were revealed Wednesday for a second location, Summerlin South at Flamingo Road and Town Center Drive, which would be 60 acres to be used for “mixed-use and vibrant” retail space and possibly a hotel.

“The studio includes both your three-story buildings where you build sets, your sound stages. It includes a volume studio, which is those green rooms where they filmed things like Star Wars and The Mandalorian,’ Howard Hughes Corporation CEO David OReilly said.

Although Wahlberg, a Boston native, has lived in his Beverly Hills mansion for more than a decade, he described his time in California as almost a missed opportunity.

“I want to be able to work from home. I moved to California many years ago to become an actor and only did a few movies the whole time I was there,’ he explained.

“So to be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams, whether it’s my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my youngest son as a golfer, that made a lot more sense to us.’

Wahlberg who shares Ella, 19; Michael, 16 years old; Brendan, 14; and Grace, 12, with wife Rhea Durham, 44, may have only been referring to films shot near his home or in California, as he has starred in around 30 films since buying his land in Beverly Hills in 2009.

Wahlberg praised Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo for his efforts to improve Nevada’s economic base.

“There are a lot of opportunities for growth here, and the government, especially our new governor, is really looking for opportunities to create jobs outside of the game,” he said.

Many celebrities have taken up residence in theState, with musical artists decamping there to participate in lucrative Vegas residencies, such as Celine Dion, Criss Angel, The Osmonds, Imagine Dragons and David Copperfield.

It comes as Vegas has boomed in recent years, with the NFL and NHL expanding or relocating teams to brand new arenas and stadiums in the city and the MLS and NBA (potentially backed by LeBron James) considering moving to Sin City as Good.

Wahlberg wasn’t shy about admitting his move out of California was about taxes, though he focused on how they would affect his businesses.

He added that he hoped to start a film studio, as well as a “shoe factory” and a “clothing factory”. [his clothing line] Municipal.’

“So we came here to give us a new look, a new start for the kids, and there are a lot of opportunities here, so I’m really excited about the future,” he said.

As a producer, Wahlberg was responsible for the hit HBO series Entourage, as well as Daddy’s Home 2, Father Stu and the McMillions documentary, not to mention the infamous reality show Wahlburgers.

Earlier, he explained that his desire to work close to home was due to him being a homebody as much as possible.

“Every free moment I have, I’m home,” he said.

In August, Wahlberg bought a two-story, 7,327-square-foot townhouse in Las Vegas for $14.5 million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The townhouse is part of the Summit Club, which has a golf course and many other luxury homes. The purchase was his second recent in the wealthy Las Vegas community, as he previously purchased 2.5 acres for $15.6 million in July 2022.

While speaking with Beond TV’s Lights, Camera, Vegas show in August, he already described Vegas as his “hometown.”

“We want to create a lot of jobs and a lot of enthusiasm. Hollywood 2.0,” he said.

The Boogie Nights star previously opened a location for his Wahlburgers food chain in Vegas in 2017.

Nevada and Wahlberg aren’t the only states pushing to lure Hollywood away from California.

Last month, actor Dennis Quaid and other celebrities joined in a campaign to make Texas the new filming capital. Mathew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson also appeared in the spot to make the case for upcoming projects in the Lone Star State.

“Texas has done a really good job of driving a lot of the tech industry out of Silicon Valley. You get off in Austin and you can see it very clearly. And the same can be done with movies and TV shows. It’s a great place to shoot,” Quaid said.