Cowtown’s two-step with Hollywood is lining up to be a showbiz success.
Film and TV productions are booming in Fort Worth, thanks to Taylor Sheridan’s “Landman” series, which features prominent shots of the city in most episodes. In 2025, an estimated $1 billion in economic impact spurred the opening of new production facilities and offices across the Fort Worth area.
“It really is a Cinderella story for Fort Worth — and it’s just the beginning,” said Taylor Hardy, film commissioner and director of video content for Visit Fort Worth, the city’s tourism arm.
Hardy’s comments came during a 2026 Real Estate Forecast event held Jan. 22 at TCU as experts discussed ways in which Fort Worth can bolster its ties to film and TV productions in North Texas.
Until “Landman,” Fort Worth often lost out to Dallas when productions chose filming locations, Hardy said. Since then, with the establishment of a film commission, Visit Fort Worth has kept track of the city’s efforts to secure more film and TV productions for the past decade.
“It was kind of a turning point for our city,” Hardy said. “Before that, we were losing a lot of business to Dallas. They were representing the entire metroplex and they didn’t know our locations and our community.”
Despite the initial lack of economic incentives and infrastructure, Fort Worth was still attractive enough to scrape its way into TV and film. Diverse filming locations, including the Stockyards, and talented crew members aided in developing the local industry and attracting new businesses. Fort Worth’s proximity to the middle of the United States was enhanced further by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the world’s third-busiest travel hub.
“We’re right between New York and Los Angeles, with more direct flights and more availability than cities like Austin or Oklahoma City,” Hardy said.
Cowtown’s pride also helped provide positive experiences for filmmakers and directors, who have been welcomed by residents and officials alike.
“That pride in our city is something that’s really contagious,” she said.
Since filmmaker David Lowery, a former Irving High School student, did a scene in Fort Worth years ago, he has returned to the city for other projects, including “The Old Man & The Gun,” Robert Redford’s final movie, Hardy said.
The film commission’s work with Taylor Sheridan began in 2021 when he sought to film a Fort Worth equestrian scene for the TV series “Yellowstone.” He returned to film the “1883” spinoff in the city, followed by a season of “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” two seasons of “Lioness,” two seasons of “Landman,” and two new shows, “The Madison” and “The Dutton Ranch.”
Dallas-based developer Hillwood got involved in the Sheridan productions when President Mike Berry heard about the need for soundstage space in Fort Worth.
“We’ve never been in that business,” Berry said. “We build spec industrial buildings.”
After visiting an Amazon facility at 10001 South Freeway — space built by Hillwood — and touring makeshift soundstages constructed there, the developer worked to build soundstage space at two Hillwood industrial buildings, Berry said.
TCU and Tarrant County College are meeting the need to develop a local workforce for TV and film, said Robert Ahdieh, Texas A&M-Fort Worth chief operating officer and dean who moderated the discussion.
Jon Hockenyos, president of TXP Inc., an economic analysis and public policy consulting firm founded in Austin, said the workforce boom in North Texas is impressive. Within a few years, the TV and film workforce has grown from 500 people to about 2,800 who collectively earn about $100 million annually.
“The numbers are just the tip of the iceberg on this,” he said.
The economic impact of TV and film in Fort Worth is now about $1 billion annually, Hockenyos said.
“In a very short period of time, the role of film-media production in general has gone up (by) about 8X,” he said. “The impact is huge.”
Attracting new media-related businesses, production offices and independent to midsize studios to Fort Worth could propel the city to a massive $5 billion impact, Hockenyos said.
To capitalize on that, businesses are developing more spaces for creative and digital content in addition to TV and film. The area has an abundance of large-scale spec and industrial buildings that can easily be converted to soundstages with soundproof walls and other materials.
Hardy said 55% growth in the Texas film industry is expected over the next decade, including support services such as catering, makeup and hair.
“At the end of the day, it’s a jobs program,” she said.
Film tourism, a fast-growth travel trend, could also increase because of production work in Fort Worth.
A recent episode of “Landman” mentioned The Barn venue at Circle T Ranch, Hillwood’s corporate campus near Westlake. The company tracked 24,800 page views on the Circle T site as a result, Berry said.
“That’s a small example, but it’s real,” he said.
Hockenyos said capital investments in film/TV facilities is important for the industry’s continued local growth. Those could include post-production facilities that include film editing and sound.
Local companies could also benefit from leasing out retail and office space for production or set storage.
“There’s a whole new sector to develop,” he said.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
Disclosure: Mitch Whitten of Visit Fort Worth is on the Fort Worth Report’s board of directors. The Report’s news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Great Job Eric E. Garcia & the Team @ Fort Worth Report for sharing this story.
