Tim Blake Nelson movie to be filmed in Columbus. Here’s how to be an extra
Local financial incentives convinced actor, writer and director Tim Blake Nelson to come to Columbus to film his new movie as the industry faces economic challenges in Georgia and across the nation.
Nelson, who appeared in “Holes,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou” and “Captain America: Brave New World,” is writing and directing a new movie called “The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd.” The feature film will explore the relationship between a disillusioned woman and a death row inmate, according to a listing by the Film & Television Industry Alliance.
Pre-production began March 10, producer Julie Buck told the Ledger-Enquirer, and principal photography is set to begin May 5. The production is expected to be in Columbus until the middle of June, Nelson said at the Columbus Film Office quarterly meeting April 10.
The film will star Amanda Seyfried of “Mamma Mia!” and “Mean Girls,” Buck said.
“There’s a bunch of other people,” she said. “We’re still in the process of casting. You end up casting almost right up to the day, but she’s the main (character).”
This film has a budget of $5.5 million, Buck said, and there will be around 80 people working on the production. Any local residents interested in being extras may email her at julie@juliebuck.com.
One of the primary filming locations with be at the Muscogee County Jail, Nelson said during the Columbus Film Office meeting. They also plan to shoot at four houses, a hospital and streets “all over the place.”
Nelson, who plans to eat at Country’s Barbecue often, also plans to film at a local barbecue joint. But it won’t be Country’s, he said.
“We’ll be all over the city,” Buck said. “You’ll see us because there’s a whole bunch of trucks. If people are interested, just reach out. We’re super friendly and totally willing to talk about things and trying to work with the community as much as we can.”
“The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd” is a significant production for Columbus, Columbus Film Commissioner Joel Slocumb told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.
“The production’s budget is comparable to other successful projects we’ve welcomed,” he said. “And we’re excited about the opportunities it creates for local businesses, crew members, and talent.”
Importance of tax incentives
The creative industries in Georgia are estimated to account for around 4.2% of the state’s gross domestic product, David Sutherland, a senior lecturer at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, said during the meeting.
However, revenue from the Georgia film and television industry went down from $4.1 billion to $2.6 billion last year, Sutherland said, which is a 37% drop. This is not a problem unique to Georgia.
“In the film industry, the top five destinations for film production, none of them are in the United States,” Sutherland said. “The Number 6 destination for film production is California. Number seven, Georgia.”
The problem is that the incentives to attract productions have shifted, he said. It’s not only financial incentives but other incentives for housing, crew and talent.
People in the industry must embrace technological advances, including artificial intelligence, Sutherland said. Georgia also needs to have more focus on protecting intellectual property within the state, he said.
Monetizing movies has become more difficult, Nelson said during the meeting.
He spent seven years working to raise the budget for “The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd,” Nelson said. However, the industry significantly has changed for arthouse films, he said.
“When I made my first movie, way back in 1996, there was a market for these movies,” Nelson said. “And there was a web of scattering of these incredible arthouse cinemas all across the country.”
Those cinemas are down by about 75%, he said, so there aren’t venues for people going to see art movies as streaming has grown. Platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Apple have made it so filmmakers often don’t get any money up front, he said, and they get a percentage from people renting the movie.
People can consume movies on a lot of different platforms, Nelson said, and they are cheap. This makes raising money for films difficult, he said.
“That’s why tax credits are so important,” Nelson said. “The real point of a tax credit is the Keynesian multiplier. For every dollar you guys give to a movie to come to your community, you would get $1.50 back. That’s the concept Roosevelt used to flood the national economy during the Great Depression with the National Recovery Act.”
Nelson’s movie received funding from Columbus, he said, but he didn’t disclose how much investment the film received.
The local film incentive program (Columbus Film Fund) operates differently from direct city investment, Slocumb said. Incentives are funded entirely through private donations and calculated by the production’s final expenses, he said. The total amount won’t be known until after the Wilson Shedd film wraps up, he said.
These incentives help encourage productions to come to Columbus rather than Atlanta, Slocumb said.
“This fund you have, in addition to the state of Georgia’s tax break, is why we’re here,” Nelson said. “That’s pretty great. We wouldn’t be here without that fund.”
Challenges filming in Columbus
Although the incentives attracted the production to come here, Nelson acknowledged that much of the benefit was depressed by not having enough qualified film industry workers in Columbus.
One advantage California continues to have over other filming locations is that crew members already live in the area.
As generous as Columbus has been in welcoming the production and investing, Nelson said, they already have spent the rebate and hundreds of thousands of dollars more because so many crew members had to travel to the city.
“It would have been cheaper, even with the generosity of Columbus, had we shot in Atlanta,” he said.
Workforce development and building a sustainable local crew base has been the primary goal of FilmColumbusGA since it began, Slocumb said.
This problem is a “cart before the horse” type of thing, Nelson said. Columbus doesn’t have a crew base, but it can get a crew base by attracting movies and growing a workforce.
“When projects film in Columbus, our local talent gains critical experience,” Slocumb said. “We currently have dedicated film professionals who call Columbus home - they work on local productions when available, and some travel to other locations or maintain additional employment during gaps.”
Nelson is optimistic that his production in partnership with local schools will be a piece in growing the film industry workforce in Muscogee County. The Columbus Film Commission has strengthened its partnership with Columbus State University’s Georgia Film Academy, Slocumb said, and is facilitating mentorships between professionals and emerging talent.
Productions like Wilson Shedd create valuable experience opportunities for the local workforce by providing hands-on training essential for developing specialized skills, he said.
“This movie will help to grow your crew base,” Nelson said. “We’re going to put your people to work on our movie.”
Columbus’ warm welcome
Since the team has come to Columbus, the community has been very welcoming to Nelson’s team, he said during the meeting.
“It’s just incredible to be here,” Nelson said. “You have opened your arms to us, from many of the civic leaders to walking into stores and restaurants to your incredible sheriff and the sheriff’s deputies.”
He met with Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman in early April, according to a post on Countryman’s Facebook page.
Nelson has done a lot of films in Georgia, he said, including “Captain America: Brave New World,” which was filmed in Atlanta.
“I’m from Oklahoma,” Nelson said. “I’m proud to be from the southern part of the United States, and I feel very much at home here. Nothing that has happened in Columbus has disabused me of that. I think you guys have a wonderful community.”
Slocumb encourages residents to remain respectful as they encounter filming activities around the city. This production is another step in furthering Columbus’ reputation as a film destination, he said.
“Local businesses will see direct impact through accommodations, dining, and various services utilized during filming,” Slocumb said.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
