Actor Mark Wahlberg is pushing to create a new Hollywood in Las Vegas months after he left his home in Los Angeles to give his kids a “better life.”
Wahlberg lobbied Nevada state legislators on Wednesday to pass a bill that would increase movie production tax credits from $10 million a year to $190 million a year over the next 20 years.
“I’d like to see us build studios, create jobs and just diversify the economy,” Wahlberg said CNBC. “I moved my last film here. I’m still shooting a movie here in the summer.’
The 51-year-old actor put his 12-bedroom, 20-bathroom Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $87.5 million last year and parted ways with the Golden State in hopes of giving his kids a “better life” in tax-free Nevada. . .
Wahlberg’s bid is the latest among celebrities and states seeking a new movie capital after California’s liberal policies led to high taxes, more “wake up,” crime and rampant homelessness.
Actor Mark Wahlberg, 51, pushes to create a new Hollywood in Las Vegas months after leaving his Los Angeles home to give his kids a ‘better life’
Wahlberg’s move to Nevada in October comes after he put his amazing 12-bedroom, 20-bathroom Beverly Hills mansion on the market last April for $87.5 million
Wahlberg bought a $15.6 million 2.5-acre plot of land in an exclusive area he plans to build, as well as a $14.5 million bungalow (pictured) to live in when construction begins
Wahlberg, who is a Christian, was one of many celebrities who made the exodus from California because of the state’s myriad problems that remain few and far between.
In an interview earlier this year on the YouTube channel ‘Today’ he said: ‘[My faith] it’s everything, it’s really, it’s gotten me so many things. … God didn’t come here to save the saints, He came to save the 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 great opportunity for everyone to flourish,” he said.
Wahlberg has made at least two purchases in the Silver State, a $15.6 million 2.5-acre piece of land in an exclusive area he plans to build, as well as a $14.5 million bungalow to live in. live as construction begins, according to Elite Agent.
He told Fox business he hopes Sin City becomes Hollywood 2.0.
“We want to create 10,000 jobs in the studio alone,” he said.
“The median salary would be $100,000 more than what it is today. We want to train people both in front of and behind the camera, and create jobs, especially for the local population.’
The huge, expensive plot of land in Nevada’s exclusive Summit Club where Wahlberg hopes to begin construction
Nevada lawmakers will vote on the SB 496, which Democratic Nevada Senator Roberta Lange, who introduced the bill, refers to as “The Film Bill.”
It proposes up to $190 million in tax breaks each year for production studios to operate in Southern Nevada through 2043.
The first studio is located in the Southwest Valley off Durango Drive and Sunset Road off the 215 Beltway, and referred to as “Zone One,” would also serve as an educational pipeline for UNLV film students through an $8 million on-site training facility .
Plans were unveiled on Wednesday for a second site, Summerlin South at Flamingo Road and Town Center Drive, which would be 60 acres to be used for a “mixed, vibrant” retail space and possibly a hotel.
“The studio includes both your three-story buildings where you build sets, and your soundstages. It contains a volume studio, which is those green rooms where they filmed things like Star Wars and the Mandalorian,” said Howard Hughes Corporation CEO David O’Reilly.
Although Boston-born Wahlberg lived in his Beverly Hills mansion for more than a decade, he almost described his time in California as if it were a missed opportunity.
‘I want to be able to work from home. I moved to California many years ago to pursue acting and I’ve only made a few movies in all the time I’ve been there,” he explained.
“So, to be able to give my kids a better life and follow and chase their dreams, whether it’s my daughter as a horse rider, my son as a basketball player, my youngest son as a golfer, this made a lot more sense to us.”
Wahlberg – who shares Ella, 19; Michael, 16; Brandaan, 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 about 30 films since buying his Beverly Hills land in 2009.
Wahlberg praised Republican Governor Joe Lombardo for his efforts to strengthen Nevada’s economic base.
“There are a lot of growth opportunities here and the government, especially our new governor, is really looking for opportunities to create jobs outside of gaming,” he said.
Wahlberg, 51, spoke during an appearance on The Talk about leaving Los Angeles and uprooting his family to Nevada to give them a “better life”; seen in 2015
Many celebrities have made their home in the state, with musical artists leaving there to join lucrative Vegas residencies, such as Celine Dion, Criss Angel, The Osmonds, Imagine Dragons, and David Copperfield.
It’s because Vegas has exploded in recent years, with both the NFL and NHL expanding or relocating teams to brand new arenas and stadiums in the city and MLS and the NBA (possibly supported by LeBron James) looking to settle in Sin City as Good.
Wahlberg wasn’t shy about admitting that his move from California was about taxes, though he focused on the impact it would have on his businesses.
He added that he hoped to get a film studio off the ground, as well as a “shoe factory” and a “factory for [his clothing line] Municipal.’
“So we came here to give ourselves a new look, a fresh start for the kids, and there’s a lot of opportunity here, so I’m really excited about the future,” he said.
As a producer, Wahlberg was responsible for the successful HBO series Entourage, as well as Daddy’s Home 2, Father Stu and the documentary McMillions, not to mention the infamous reality show Wahlburgers.
He previously explained that his desire to work close to his hometown was because he is a homebody whenever possible.
“Every free moment I have, I’m at home,” he said.
In August, Wahlberg bought a 7,327-square-foot, two-story townhome in Las Vegas for $14.5 million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The townhome is part of The Summit Club, which features a golf course and numerous other luxury homes. The purchase was his second recent in the wealthy community of Las Vegas, as he previously bought 2.5 acres in July 2022 for $15.6 million.
While speaking on Beond TV’s Lights, Camera, Vegas show in August, he already described Vegas as his “home city.”
‘We want to create a lot of jobs, and a lot of enthusiasm. Hollywood 2.0,” he said.
The Boogie Nights star opened a location for his food chain Wahlburgers in Vegas earlier in 2017.
Nevada and Wahlberg aren’t the only states trying to lure Hollywood away from California.
Last month, actor Dennis Quaid and other celebrities took part in a campaign to make Texas the new movie capital. Mathew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson also appeared on the scene and advocated for projects to come to the Lone Star state.
“Texas has done a very good job of moving much of the technology industry out of Silicon Valley. You go to Austin and you can see that very clearly. And the same can be done with movies and TV shows. It’s a great place to shoot,” said Quaid.