Hollywood Ambitions Head to Mansfield Texas

A fast-growing corner of Dallas-Fort Worth is angling for a starring role in the state’s film economy.

Construction is slated to begin in August on the first phase of a $750 million mixed-use development in Mansfield anchored by an AI-enabled movie studio, one of many efforts placing North Texas on the map as a film production hub.

Super Studios USA CFO Richard Judson told the Dallas Morning News that the initial phase at 561 Easy Drive in Mansfield will include four ground-up sound stages, production offices and parking, with an estimated $50 million cost and completion targeted for June 2027.

The broader 75-acre project is envisioned as a 10-phase buildout over five years, blending studio infrastructure with residential, hospitality and retail uses. Early plans call for four 18,000-square-foot sound stages alongside a 42,000-square-foot office building, with its top floor dedicated to AI, post production and data center operations, according to the outlet, a nod to the industry’s increasing reliance on digital workflows.

At full buildout, the campus is set to include eight sound stages, a hotel, roughly 800 luxury condos and townhomes, more than 430,000 square feet of retail and a network of parks and water features. The project also incorporates workforce development, including a trade school for production assistants, and about 20,000 square feet of distributed mini data centers embedded within studio facilities, according to the publication.

The development is expected to create nearly 2,700 permanent jobs and about 4,400 construction jobs. Mansfield officials have already put skin in the game: The Mansfield Economic Development Corporation sold about 21.5 acres for $1 in early 2025 and agreed to reimburse all infrastructure impact fees tied to the first phase once occupied.

The project is spearheaded by filmmaker Angel Gracia and the Santa Clarita, California-based production company Creative Tank, which framed the development as a “mini-city” designed to replicate the convenience of Hollywood production studios, according to the outlet. His partners include St. Louis-based Arco Construction, San Francisco-based Gensler and Dallas-based Lineage Legacy Partners.

The timing aligns with a broader surge in Texas film investment. Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan already established a major production foothold in nearby Fort Worth, where his studio campus has helped draw projects benefiting from tens of millions of dollars in state incentives. Super Studios plans to tap into those same programs.