Texas Native Matthew McConaughey Urges Lawmakers to Boost Film Incentives

Oscar-winning actor and Texas native Matthew McConaughey passionately advocated for the expansion of Texas’ film incentive program before the Senate Finance Committee on Monday, arguing that the state has the potential to become a world-class filmmaking hub that could rival Hollywood.

McConaughey told lawmakers that Texas could become a premier destination not only for shooting movies but also for building a robust film industry with a strong local workforce. He believes that California’s current lack of competitive incentives presents a significant opportunity for Texas to step into a leading role in filmmaking. “One of the only regrets of my 33-year career in film and television is not making more of my films here in Texas,” he said, particularly those with Texan themes or settings.

The existing Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, launched in 2007, offers film productions up to 20 percent in tax breaks and reimbursements for in-state spending, provided they hire over half of their cast and crew from Texas residents and complete most of their production within the state. The governor’s office reports that for every dollar granted through the program, the industry generates $4.69 in in-state spending, contributing $2.5 billion in economic impact and nearly 200,000 jobs since its inception.  

However, the program has faced challenges in consistently attracting productions due to more lucrative and reliable incentive packages offered by other states. Committee Chair and Houston Senator Joan Huffman highlighted this issue, stating that producers often find it difficult to justify filming in Texas when presented with stronger incentives elsewhere.

Senator Huffman’s bill, SB 22, aims to address this by creating a dedicated revenue stream of $500 million each biennium for the next decade to further support the growth of the Texas film industry. The bill retains the existing framework of the incentive program, including the state’s discretion to decline grants based on inappropriate content or negative portrayals of Texas. It also lowers the production size threshold for top-tier incentives and increases the cap on total reimbursements.  

Joining McConaughey in support was fellow actor Woody Harrelson, who is currently filming a new family comedy series in Dripping Springs. McConaughey revealed that both he and Harrelson took a 15 percent pay cut to ensure the production remained in Texas instead of moving to Georgia, a major competitor in the film industry. He noted that the production has already spent $12 million on Texas goods and labor, with significant filming still remaining. “That is money that’s going to local Texas restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, dry cleaners, street rentals, home rentals, even Woody’s barber,” McConaughey emphasized. He believes that passing SB 22 would immediately position Texas as a serious contender for more film and television productions.  

McConaughey’s vision extends beyond simply attracting out-of-state productions. He hopes to see Texas cultivate its own robust infrastructure and skilled workforce, ultimately making the state the preferred choice for filmmakers based on both its visual appeal and economic advantages. “We do this, and we start to create our own industry. We do this, and we create our own pipeline for film and television,” McConaughey asserted. “We do this, and there will be a point when we are not going to need financial incentives from the state.”