Six film productions will be shooting in Utah after being approved for incentives by the Utah Board of Tourism Development at a recent board meeting.
The incentives total nearly $1.7 million for the productions, which are expected to spend a total of over $7.1 million and employ over 400 people in Utah.
The most spending, $4.5 million, is expected to be by the thriller “Slay Day,” approved for an incentive of up to $1.225 million. It will be in production through April in and around Salt Lake County and involve 100 cast and crew and 400 extras.
“Slay Day” is an interactive “choose your own adventure” project. Producers are Michael Kagan and Scott Silver. The director is John David Buxton.
“‘Slay Day’ found a perfect home in Utah,” Buxton said. “We knew Utah would be an amazing fit from a location’s standpoint, but the quality and experience of the local team we’re assembling exceeds my wildest dreams. Combined with the strong and straightforward incentive, it was an easy choice for us.”
Season 5 of the popular Discovery Channel series “Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch,” which will be filming in and around Uintah County through November, is expected to spend nearly $1.3 million in Utah, where 55 percent of it will be shot. The incentive is for up to $257,894.
The production will involve six cast and crew and it will air on the Discovery Channel. It focuses on paranormal activity at the ranch. Producers are Doug Fitch, Ismael Soto and Reaves Washburn.
The second season of “Navajo Highways” was approved for an incentive of up to $101,031, based on Utah spending of $505,154. It will shoot in Grand and Salt Lake counties through May and employ 35 cast and crew and five extras.
The educational children’s television series teaches Navajo culture, traditions and language. Its first season is currently streaming on First Nations Experience (FNX). The producers are Linda L. Miller, Daryl Ross Begay and Harrison Reynolds. The director/producer is Pete Sands.
A new independent feature, “Strasbourg,” was approved for an incentive of up to $89,396. It is expected to spend $446,984 through December in Utah and Wasatch counties. The World War II drama will employ 56 cast and crew and 10 extras.
Producers are Jeremy Prusso, Garet Allen, Ken Clark and Jack Relic. The director is Jake Van Wagoner (“Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out” and “Studio C”).
“Halloween Pizza Party” is expected to deliver in-Utah spending of $292,179. It was approved for an incentive of up to $58,436. The production will be filming in and around Salt Lake, Utah and Wasatch counties, with work continuing through April and involving 60 cast and crew and 15 extras.
The “coming of age” comedy focuses on a pizza delivery boy trying to get together with his high school crush. The filmmakers from Brigham Young University are making their first feature film. Producers are Travor Free, Hannah Hughes Carraway and Jake Peterson. The director is Brandon Patrick Carraway.
“‘Halloween Pizza Party’ had to be filmed in Utah — the gorgeous fall colors, crisp autumn air and welcoming suburban neighborhoods perfectly capture the nostalgic chaos of Halloween night,” Carraway said. “Our producers grew up here and have built their careers in Utah’s film industry. They know firsthand how special this state is and why it’s the ideal backdrop for our story.”
The family film “Gabriella” was approved for an incentive of up to $21,000, based on expected spending of $105,000. To be distributed via streaming platforms in the fall of 2026, it will be in production in Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties through May and employ 56 cast and crew and 20 extras.
“Gabriella” tells the story of the aftermath of a girl’s near-death experience. Producers are James Gault, Curtis Dalton and Teresea Melendez. The director is Rob Diamond.
“I love filming in Utah,” Diamond said. “I’ve been making movies here for 25 years. It has some of the most beautiful locations in the world, and the cast and crew are top-notch. I plan on making movies here for many years to come.”
Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission, told the tourism board about the shooting of part of “Zeus,” a code name for an upcoming feature about Godzilla and King Kong. In only 10 days of shooting in Moab, the production’s only U.S. location, the production took up over 2,000 room-nights and spent over a half-million dollars on hotels, she said.
“They haven’t had a large production there in a long time, and I think they were really thrilled with the way it came out,” Pearce said, noting that the team behind the film was “fantastic,” was complimentary of Utah and was interested in coming back for more productions in the future.
“We see that time and time and again from filmmakers that haven’t shot in Utah and aren’t sure what to expect,” Pearce said. “They get here, they spend a couple of months, and they’re just fans for life.”