With picturesque, rolling green hills, growing urban areas and gorgeous cityscapes, Tennessee is quickly becoming a mecca for film and TV production.
And why not? The region enjoys everything studios could ask for in film production, from sunshine days, dustings of snow in the winter or lush hues of fall and spring foliage.
More and more productions are coming to Middle Tennessee cities, including Nicole Kidman’s latest thriller “Holland, MI,” which is set in Holland, Michigan, but shot in downtown Clarksville.
And the growth continues for moviemaking in Tennessee.
While some movies are set in Middle Tennessee and shot here, such as “Nashville” on the big screen or TV’s “Nashville,” there are so many productions utilizing the beauty of the region as shooting locations.
The Volunteer State is fifth nationally for employment in motion picture and video production. Tennessee experienced a 64% growth rate in motion picture and video production over the past year, a 19% growth rate projection over the next decade in motion picture and video production and $424 million in annual gross state product produced by the motion picture industry, according to the Tennessee Entertainment Commission.
Here are some movies and TV shows shot in Nashville, as well as across Middle Tennessee.
Walk the Line (2005)
This 2005 Johnny Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix as the man in black had to be shot in Tennessee.
While Memphis takes the lion’s share of filming locations, the Tennessee State Penitentiary was a filming location for the biopic.
Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
Sensing Middle Tennessee is a great location for musical biopics.
This time, the 1980s biopic gives Loretta Lynn her day in the sun, with Sissy Spacek starring and securing an Oscar for her portrayal of the singer-songwriter. Don’t tell Tennesseans this, but a good portion of the movie was shot in Kentucky.
Thankfully, scenes were shot in Tennessee and footage was captured at the Ryman Auditorium.
The Green Mile (1999)
A death row corrections officer (Tom Hanks) witnesses supernatural events during the Great Depression in this tale of a death row inmate.
The film shot in multiple Tennessee locations including Shelbyville, Nolensville and Columbia.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Greek myth on display in Nashville? Well, this movie might have been destined to shoot in Nashville with a replica Parthenon paying homage to Greece and the goddess Athena.
The Matrix (1999)
Dodging bullets, defying gravity and changing the game on how Hollywood uses visual effects? This iconic movie shot a brief scene in Nashville.
You may have missed it, though. Unless you caught a glimpse of the opening scene as Trinity (Carrie Ann Moss) is chased along rooftops by police and Matrix agents.
Nashville (1975)
It wouldn’t be a list without the Oscar-nominated 1975 hit “Nashville.”
Robert Altman’s ensemble drama tells the story of numerous people intersecting at the Tennessee capital in unpredictable ways as music and politics converge at a gala concert for a populist outsider running for president.
Recent and coming soon
More recent productions, including Kidman’s “Holland, MI,” are utilizing the region to tell their stories.
“George & Tammy” debuted in late 2022, telling the romance between George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The limited series streaming on Showtime earned four Emmy nominations, including the titular characters played by Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.
It’s not fiction put on screen, but the reality show “Barmageddon” is filmed on location at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Bar where celebrity friends pair with contestants to play outrageous bar games.
Why choose Middle Tennessee?
It is competitive coaxing productions to your state. So states often add incentives to guide movie and TV productions that add to local economies.
Tennessee has a 25% grant rebate for production companies who spend $200,000 or more per episode or per project.
Qualified productions can earn up to 50% of tax exemption on taxable goods and services.
Longer productions that carry beyond 30 days qualify for rebates on all hotel occupancy taxes, and with 90 continuous days, production staff and crew qualify for rebate on previous occupancy sales taxes.
Tennessee has no permitting fees and free location shooting at state-owned properties, buildings, parks and roads.
And as always, the big one is no state income tax on wages earned in Tennessee.
Higher education
Not yet a professional but looking to get into the busy?
Over the past five years, Tennessee schools awarded 8,600 certificates and degrees in production programs.
Variety Magazine named Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business one of the top 30 film schools in North America.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.
