'The Wayfinders' leads list of films and TV shows set for production in Utah

Brice Wallace
Business Journal

The Utah Board of Tourism Development green-lit state incentives for four film and TV productions in January.

The productions were approved for tax credit or cash rebate incentives totaling nearly $4.3 million, based on estimated in-state spending of about $17.5 million.

“We’re almost going to spend this month as much as we spent the whole rest of the fiscal year, and I will tell you, there’s more to come, in February and March,” Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission, told the board at its January meeting, referring to the July-through-June fiscal year.

The largest incentive, for up to $3.2 million, was approved for “The Wayfinders,” a series described by IMDB as three high schoolers mistakenly transported to a brutal medieval world and fighting for survival as they search for a way back home.

The production is expected to spend nearly $12.9 million in Utah, with shooting in Iron, Juab, Summit, Tooele, Utah and Wasatch counties. Three-fourths of the shooting will take place in Utah, with the rest in Ireland. The production will continue through July 2026 and is expected to involve 239 cast and crew.

“We are excited to film ‘The Wayfinders’ series in the remarkable state of Utah, where its awe-inspiring landscapes and distinctive rural charm will serve as the perfect backdrop for our story,” said Jason Faller, a producer along with Kynan Griffin. “From the vivid colors of the changing seasons to the rugged beauty of its countryside, and the small-town Americana setting that is central to the series, Utah offers the right setting that will enhance the immersive world we’re creating.”

Faller and Griffin were involved in “The Outpost” and “Mythica: Stormbound. The director of “The Wayfinders” is Glen Winter.

A thriller titled “The Edge of Normal” was approved for an incentive up to $685,270, based on in-state spending of more than $2.7 million. The film will be shot entirely in Salt Lake County and involve 90 cast and crew. Based on a novel by Carla Norton, it will be in production March through July.

Producers are Matt Miller (“The Wolf of Snow Hollow” and “California King”) and Natalie Metzger. The director is Carlota Pereda.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Utah Film Commission for awarding us the tax credit for ‘The Edge of Normal,’” Miller said. “Utah’s breathtaking landscapes, talented local crew, and unwavering support for filmmakers make it the perfect place to bring this story to life. We’re excited to return in the spring to begin production and further showcase all that Utah has to offer as a premier filmmaking destination.”

On a lighter side, “Finding Mr. Christmas,” a Hallmark series, returns to Utah for its second season. Entirely shot in Utah, the production will take place in Summit and Wasatch counties through May. Its state incentive is for up to $280,000, based on Utah spending of $1.4 million. It will employ 42 cast and crew.

Producers are Cara Tapper and Joanna Vernetti. The show host is Jonathan Bennett.

“For Season 2 of Hallmark’s ‘Finding Mr. Christmas,’ there was little doubt about returning to Utah,” said Tapper, producer and co-founder of Super Delicious (“Halloween Wars” and “Holiday Wars”).

“The breathtaking vistas are spot-on for a Hallmark dream location. But as a production company, the ability to source a lot of local crew, ease of production in Utah and help from the community in finding the perfect locations makes this a no-brainer. It’s been a pleasure for us working in Utah over the years with Food Network productions, and our comfort level in the state made it an easy decision to bring the Hallmark production to Utah.”

The feature film “The Genesis Project” was approved for an incentive of up to $96,000, based on Utah spending of about $480,000. To be shot entirely in Salt Lake County, production will take place through October and employ 51 cast and crew.

“The Genesis Project” is a thriller that follows five psychology college students who are studying serial killers and attempt to capture the killer stalking their town.

Producers are Frank Johnson and Jennifer Ricci. The director is Dustin Ward (“Princess for a Day”).

Pearce briefed the tourism board on the film incentive program for various time periods. In calendar 2024, incentives were approved for 22 productions. Incentives totaled nearly $10.5 million but are expected to result in a $49.9 million in in-state spending, including $10.4 million in rural Utah. Those productions are expected to employ more than 3,100 people.

So far during the current July-through-June fiscal year, 14 projects have been approved for incentives totaling $4.4 million, based on in-state spending of $20.5 million.

Over the past decade, the incentive program has led to 258 incentivized projects with total in-state spending of $630 million, including $268 million in rural Utah. The productions employed more than 38,800 people during more than 33,000 production days. Film tourism generated by those productions totaled $6 billion.