· 32 comments · Save ·
For Sale Apr 3, 2026 at 1:46 AM

Jason Bateman loves to make TV shows set in Missouri but filmed in Georgia.

Posted by thatsaqualifier

Ozark DTF St. Louis He not only stars in these but produces them. Besides the likely explanation that Georgia offers tax breaks, explain to this Missourian why they won't film these in our lovely state? Correct and wrong answers will both be accepted.
🚩 Report this post

32 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
paulc899 Apr 3, 2026 +19
Tax breaks. If it helps, if Missouri offered the same tax breaks things would be filmed there but set in other parts of the US.
19
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +1
Yeah, I just thought it was funny that both shows are set in Missouri. If it was "Ozark" and "DTF Milwaukee" it wouldn't be as striking.
1
longjumpingtote Apr 3, 2026 +2
> If it was "Ozark" and "DTF Milwaukee" it wouldn't be as striking. X-Files was set in D.C. but shot in Canada. Cheers was based on the bar in Boston and shot in L.A. with actors who had no Boston accents. There are almost no shows shot anywhere that don't have crew living there, so SoCal, Atlanta, New York, and a few others.
2
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +1
Yeah, I guess it's also interesting because TV has changed since the old days. Cheers really only took place inside a bar, everything was shot on a set, with a live audience. Seinfeld was the same (set in NY, filmed in LA). But Ozark and DTF St. Louis have a lot of outside, landscape settings with no audience.
1
prettyboyeatsass Apr 3, 2026 +8
You answered your own question.
8
DeuxDeuxDeuxSupplier Apr 3, 2026 +4
You gonna personally pay Georgia's tax benefits or what
4
Brilliant-Advisor958 Apr 3, 2026 +5
Georgia has a pretty good film industry, between incentives, studio space and experienced crew.
5
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +1
Interesting. So it's not solely tax breaks but a burgeoning film industry in the Peach State. Thanks for the info!
1
TokyoPanic Apr 3, 2026 +3
The tax breaks were the reason there's a massive film industry in Georgia. Those tax breaks led to high profile projects like Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and every Marvel movie made from 2015-2025 to start filming in Georgia which then led to industry professionals moving there and invigorating the local film industry.
3
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +1
Makes a ton of sense, thanks!
1
TheAnn13 Apr 3, 2026 +3
Lol I don't think Jason Bateman specifically loves this one specific thing. Hollywood exists in California for reasons, and filming in the state of Georgia exists for similar more current reasons. Shout out to Canada for trying to be a lot of the US for years in film. I thoroughly enjoy watching like NCIS and Bones and them just absolutely murdering the area. Its part of the fun.
3
Grunklsnort Apr 3, 2026 +2
Living in Vancouver during the heyday of the Arrowverse and Supernatural was always a cool time.
2
TheAnn13 Apr 3, 2026 +1
Psych is one of my favorite shows and you can clearly tell it's not California often. Suspension of disbelief I suppose. I love when shows set in DC are like, oh that's in Hampton, 20 minutes away but then act like McLean is hella far. Or when they have high rises in the background. DC as a city is known for not having tall buildings like its a whole thing.
1
keving87 Apr 3, 2026 +1
At least those were fictional cities so they could look like anything at least.
1
longjumpingtote Apr 3, 2026 +1
Seeing Richmond, Burnaby, and Surrey double for D.C. was always the funniest part of the X-Files.
1
TheAnn13 Apr 3, 2026 +1
I really love the skyscrapers in the DC background.
1
GaryTheCabalGuy Apr 3, 2026 +1
Bones is a show everybody should see before they die
1
the_mighty__monarch Apr 3, 2026
Hollywood exists in California because you could easily get to mountains, beaches, deserts, cities, suburbs from one place.
0
TheAnn13 Apr 3, 2026 +1
Right, and in the heyday they also had tax breaks filming there. Im compounding a few things but the point is it makes financial sense to film there.
1
longjumpingtote Apr 3, 2026 +2
> Besides the likely explanation that Georgia offers tax breaks There is no "besides." If not for Georgia, they might film in New York. If not for New York, than in California. There is one factors other than tax breaks (but it's related). Is there a filmmaking community there? Crew, sound stages, equipment houses, etc. etc. etc. A ton of those shows are shot on soundstages. And it's not practical to import all of that equipment and put the crew up in hotels.
2
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +1
Interesting, thanks!
1
TheLegendTwoSeven Apr 3, 2026 +2
Missouri doesn’t really have a television and movie industry, which means you have to bring in people from California and New York. Many of them don’t want to move to Missorui for 6 months per year, and it’s expensive to put them in hotels for half the year. The workers don’t like it because they’re renting expensive apartments that they still have to pay for when they’re in Missouri. You: Why can’t they just move to Missouri? It’s great here! Me: Most of the people who want to work in the TV and movie industry need to live in LA and NYC because that’s where most of the jobs are in that industry. It’s nothing personal against Missouri. If you want to film a TV show in Missouri, you have to bring people in from California and New York for 6 months a year, every year, until the show ends. If you pick Georgia you can hire people from Georgia’s TV and movie industry.
2
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +1
Good points! One follow-up question, it's just as far to travel to Georgia from NYC and LA. I assume film pros are also moving to Atlanta then?
1
TheLegendTwoSeven Apr 3, 2026 +1
Thanks! Yes, Georgia has enough film and TV work that some people in the industry moved there permanently. There are pros who know how to make Georgia look like Missouri or Texas. A lot of the Marvel movies are filmed in Georgia too.
1
keving87 Apr 3, 2026 +1
They don't film most things in the state they're set, unless you're set in the NY or LA area or Georgia. You're lucky if a US-set show is filmed in the US at all.
1
weakplay Apr 3, 2026 +1
Black rabbit was good tv. I love Jason Bateman.
1
Turd_Nerd_Bird Apr 3, 2026 +1
You make it sound like he's been pumping out hundreds of shows set in Missouri, and it's only 2. He also wasn't the creator or showrunner for either of those shows, so don't really see how that's on him lol.
1
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026
He's EP of both shows.
0
Turd_Nerd_Bird Apr 3, 2026 +1
He's one of the EP's for both shows, there are 7 for Ozark and 13 for DTF St. Louis. So again, not really sure how that falls on Jason Bateman lol.
1
Radmode7 Apr 3, 2026 +2
Most actors would be cold and in the ground before they recognized M’zurah!
2
thatsaqualifier Apr 3, 2026 +2
"I understood that reference"
2
Radmode7 Apr 3, 2026 +1
My day is made.
1
← Back to Board