The entrance of Paramount Studios is seen at Paramount Studios on August 23, 2013 in Hollywood, California.
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Austin could soon be home to more film and television productions as a major Hollywood studio eyes Texas for a potential move.
Paramount is considering relocating some of its operations out of California as the company fights to close its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Austin has emerged as a possible destination.
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The potential move is far from a done deal. But according to the New York Post, Paramount CEO David Ellison and his partners are in discussions about establishing a movie and television studio at the Bluebonnet Business Center at 9219 Old Manor Road in East Austin.
If Paramount follows through, the move could give Austin a new role as an operations base for one of the entertainment industry’s largest companies.
Why Austin?
Robert Rodriguez, Glen Powell and Richard Linklater walk the red carpet for Austin Film Society’s Toast to Texas Film at Troublemaker Studios Thursday, May 16, 2024. The event celebrated Glen Powell’s induction into the Texas Film Hall of Fame and served as a fundraiser for the Austin Film Society’s artistic and educational programs.
Mikala Compton/American-Statesman
Austin already has a long history with filmmaking, from the independent movies that helped put the city on Hollywood’s radar to a growing network of production facilities. And if Paramount ultimately chooses the reported East Austin site, it would be joining a particularly film-heavy stretch of Old Manor Road.
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The proposed location on Old Manor is just down the road from Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios at 4900 Old Manor Road. Some of the productions filmed at Rodriguez’s studio include “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Machete” and “Machete Kills.”
The project at 9219 Old Manor Road is filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation as “IDI Office” and lists Houston-based Powers Brown Architecture as its designer.
Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson, flanked by his disciples, in “Dazed and Confused.” (Contributed by Universal)
Austin 360
The Austin Film Society’s facilities have also helped establish Austin as a production center, while filmmakers including Richard Linklater have made the city part of their work.
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Linklater’s 1991 film “Slacker,” made for about $23,000, followed a day in the life of Austin and its eccentric characters. The film grossed more than $1.25 million and helped establish the city as a destination for independent filmmaking.
His 1993 film “Dazed and Confused,” which was filmed in Austin, later became a cult classic and helped launch the careers of actors including Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck.
Texas also offers incentives designed to attract film and television productions, another factor that could make the state attractive as Paramount considers ways to reduce costs.
What is happening with Paramount?
Paramount logo displayed on a laptop screen and Warner Bros. logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland, on February 28, 2026.
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Paramount’s potential move is tied to its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
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The nearly $111 billion deal has received approval from the U.S. Department of Justice and other regulators, but California and 11 other states have sued to block the merger, arguing that it would reduce competition in the entertainment industry.
Paramount has agreed to delay closing the deal while the antitrust case proceeds. The trial is scheduled to begin March 2, 2027. But beginning Oct. 1, Paramount is expected to owe Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders $7 million per day in so-called “ticking fees” until the deal closes. Paramount has estimated that the fees could total roughly $1.3 billion if the case stretches into the spring.
According to Variety, Ellison has reportedly told senior executives that Paramount could begin the process of moving operations out of California on Oct. 1 if California Attorney General Rob Bonta does not agree to settlement negotiations by then.
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The New York Post reported that Austin is among the possible destinations, with Paramount reportedly exploring the Bluebonnet Business Center. Paramount has not formally announced a move to Austin, and the company’s California exit remains contingent on the outcome of the antitrust dispute.
But the possibility is already notable for a city that has spent decades cultivating a reputation for filmmaking.