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SALT LAKE CITY — A documentary series codirected by the man behind cult-favorite “Napoleon Dynamite” is among four new film projects recently approved by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s office to film in the state.
The documentary series will be codirected by Jared Hess, who directed and cowrote “Napoleon Dynamite,” and documentary producer and director Tyler Measom, according to a news release from the Utah Film Commission.
The series is untitled, so far, and is estimated to spend $1.2 million in the state, the release says. It will start filming in Utah later in January.
The four projects are estimated to spend a total of $9.7 million in Utah and bring 275 local jobs to the state, the release says.
“These four projects showcase how Utah is a great fit for a wide variety of productions,” Utah Film Commission director Virginia Pearce said in the release. “Our goal has always been to encourage and develop local talent, as well as out-of-state productions and I’m thrilled to have a selection of both filming here this winter.”
Production starts in May for “9 Years to Neptune,” a narrative series that features puppets, according to the release. The series is being produced by Utah-based Cosmic Pictures for BYUtv. Codirected by Tyler McKellar and Greg Kiefer, the series is estimated to spend $4.6 million in Utah.
Also approved is the second season of the CW series “The Outpost.” The show will start shooting in Springville in March and is estimated to spend $1.5 million in Utah.
The fourth production is “Haul Out The Holly,” produced by John Kelly, who also produced the shot-in-Utah film “127 Hours.” It will begin shooting in March and is estimated to spend $2.5 million in Utah, the release says.
To date, more than 1,400 productions have filmed in Utah, including major Hollywood films such as “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,”“Thelma and Louise” and “127 Hours.”
Editor's note: The content of this article was taken from a press release sent out by the Utah Film Commission. This is not information gathered by a KSL.com reporter.
