Hollywood Comes to the Jersey Shore: Inside the $2 Billion Studio Boom Transforming New Jersey

The Jersey Shore is getting a makeover, and this time it has nothing to do with reality TV. Netflix, Paramount, and a wave of independent studios are pouring more than $2 billion into New Jersey, transforming the Garden State from a filming location into a full-scale production powerhouse. By the time the dust settles in 2028, New Jersey will house some of the largest and most advanced film production facilities on the East Coast, creating thousands of jobs and fundamentally changing the region's economic landscape.

This isn't a temporary boom driven by a single tax credit or fleeting trend. It's a strategic shift years in the making, fueled by a perfect storm of generous state incentives, proximity to New York City's creative talent pool, available land at competitive prices, and the explosive growth of streaming content that demands more production capacity than Hollywood can provide alone.

For workers displaced by tech layoffs, corporate restructuring, or the retail apocalypse, New Jersey's entertainment boom represents real opportunity. From construction jobs building these massive facilities to permanent positions in production, post-production, and studio operations, the Garden State's transformation could provide career paths for thousands looking to pivot into a growing industry.

Netflix's Fort Monmouth: The $1 Billion Anchor

The crown jewel of New Jersey's entertainment transformation sits on 292 acres of former military land in Oceanport and Eatontown, just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. In May 2025, Netflix broke ground on what will become one of the largest film production facilities in North America, a $1 billion investment that signals the streaming giant's commitment to East Coast production.

The Fort Monmouth facility represents far more than square footage. It's Netflix positioning itself for the next decade of content creation.

The Numbers That Matter

• Total investment: $848 million to $1 billion (depending on final build-out)
• Site size: 292 acres spanning two municipalities
• Soundstages: 12 state-of-the-art stages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet
• Construction jobs: More than 3,500 positions during build-out (2025-2028)
• Permanent positions: Over 1,500 full-time jobs once operational
• Expected economic impact: $4.6 billion in revenue over 20 years
• Timeline: Demolition began May 2025, construction starts 2026, completion expected 2028

These aren't temporary gigs. Netflix is building permanent infrastructure that requires year-round staff, from soundstage technicians and lighting specialists to costume departments, set builders, catering operations, and studio management. The facility will also include production offices, backlots for outdoor filming, and community spaces.

Why Fort Monmouth?

In October 2022, Netflix emerged as the winning bidder for the Fort Monmouth property, a decommissioned Army base that closed in 2011. The site offered everything Netflix needed: massive acreage, existing infrastructure (roads, utilities, buildings), proximity to New York City (just 50 miles south), and local governments eager to transform dormant military property into an economic engine.

Oceanport and Eatontown's planning boards approved Netflix's multi-phase development plans in November 2023, clearing the path for groundbreaking. Governor Phil Murphy attended the May 2025 ceremony alongside Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, calling the project a "game-changer" for New Jersey's economy and a validation of the state's film-friendly policies.

The facility's location near the Jersey Shore isn't coincidental. The region provides diverse filming locations within minutes: beaches, boardwalks, suburban neighborhoods, rural areas, and small-town Main Streets. Productions can film exteriors on location and interiors on soundstages without the logistical nightmare of cross-country travel.

Atlantic City Gets in the Game: ACX1 Studios

While Netflix grabbed headlines, Atlantic City quietly opened its own production facility in 2024. ACX1 Studios, a 550,000-square-foot complex located on a beach pier along the famous boardwalk, represents a bold bet that South Jersey can compete for entertainment dollars.

The four-story facility serves triple duty as a film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue. This hybrid model makes sense for Atlantic City, a resort town with existing hospitality infrastructure, performance venues, and a workforce experienced in entertainment services.

Atlantic City's Strategic Advantage

ACX1 Studios is capitalizing on New Jersey's film tax credits while offering something California and Georgia can't: a functioning casino resort destination. Productions can house cast and crew in Atlantic City's hotels, use the city's restaurants and entertainment venues, and access beaches and boardwalks for location shoots.

The studio is also targeting music production, an often-overlooked segment of the entertainment industry that generates substantial economic activity. By positioning itself as a multi-use facility, ACX1 aims to maintain year-round occupancy rather than relying solely on film production seasons.

Egg Harbor City's Hollywood Dreams: Atlantic Motion Picture Studios

Jonathan Sachar, a Cape May native, is bringing his own vision of Hollywood east with Atlantic Motion Picture Studios (AMPS) in Egg Harbor City. The 100-acre facility, supported by a $1 million infrastructure grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and backing from the Atlantic County Economic Alliance, aims to establish a regional production hub in South Jersey.

Sachar isn't just building on speculation. His recent production, "Killing Mary Sue," filmed entirely in New Jersey and won multiple awards at the 2025 Los Angeles Film Festival. The success demonstrated that Garden State locations and crews can deliver Hollywood-quality results.

AMPS represents the independent studio model: smaller than Netflix's Fort Monmouth complex but more agile, able to serve indie productions, commercials, music videos, and streaming content that doesn't require massive soundstages. The facility is targeting the growing market of mid-budget productions, films and series with $5-50 million budgets that have been squeezed out of traditional Hollywood studios.

Update: Paramount Signs On (October 2025)

This section reflects developments after the article's original publication in August 2025.

In October 2025, Paramount Global announced a 10-year lease at 1888 Studios in Bayonne, New Jersey. The $1 billion facility, set to open in late 2028, will feature over 1.1 million square feet of production space across 23 soundstages, making it one of the largest studio complexes on the East Coast.

Paramount's commitment represents a major validation of New Jersey's entertainment infrastructure. The studio joins Netflix in making long-term bets on the Garden State's ability to compete with traditional production hubs like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Vancouver.

The 1888 Studios development in Bayonne offers strategic advantages: direct proximity to New York City (just across the Hudson River), access to PATH train and ferry transportation, and available industrial land suitable for large-scale construction. The facility's 2028 opening timeline aligns with Netflix's Fort Monmouth completion, potentially creating a production corridor along the northern New Jersey coast.

Why New Jersey? The Economics Behind the Boom

Studios aren't moving to New Jersey out of nostalgia for Bruce Springsteen or affection for the Turnpike. The shift is driven by hard economics and strategic calculation.

1. Tax Incentives That Actually Matter

New Jersey offers film production tax credits covering up to 30-35% of qualified expenses, with additional bonuses for hiring New Jersey residents, using in-state vendors, and filming in designated areas. These aren't theoretical savings, they translate to millions of dollars per production.

California's tax credits, while substantial, face fierce competition and lottery-style allocation. Georgia dominates East Coast production but is increasingly crowded, with studios booking soundstages years in advance. New Jersey is offering guaranteed capacity, competitive incentives, and governments eager to accommodate production needs.

2. The New York City Talent Pool

New Jersey's proximity to New York City provides access to one of the world's deepest talent pools. Actors, directors, writers, cinematographers, and crew members can live in NYC and commute to New Jersey shoots, avoiding the costly relocation required for Atlanta or Los Angeles productions.

This matters for mid-budget productions that can't afford to fly entire casts and crews cross-country or house them for months. A New Jersey shoot allows productions to tap NYC talent at day-player rates rather than relocation packages.

3. Land Costs and Availability

Studio-grade facilities require massive parcels, tens or hundreds of acres for soundstages, backlots, parking, and production support. In Los Angeles, such land is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. In Manhattan, it doesn't exist at any price.

New Jersey offers former industrial sites, decommissioned military bases, and underdeveloped waterfront property at prices that make billion-dollar studio complexes financially viable. The Fort Monmouth site, for example, provided 292 acres of land with existing infrastructure at a price that would be unthinkable in Los Angeles.

4. Diverse Filming Locations

New Jersey's geographic diversity is underrated. Within 50 miles, productions can access:

• Atlantic Ocean beaches and boardwalks (Jersey Shore)
• Urban environments (Newark, Jersey City, Paterson)
• Suburban neighborhoods (Bergen County, Morris County)
• Rural farmland (South Jersey)
• Pine Barrens wilderness
• Industrial areas and warehouses
• Small-town Main Streets
• Mountains and forests (Northwestern New Jersey)

This variety allows productions to film multiple settings without the expense of traveling between states or building elaborate sets. A production can shoot a beach scene in the morning and an urban street scene in the afternoon, all within a 30-minute drive.

5. The Streaming Content Explosion

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, and Peacock are collectively producing hundreds of series and films annually. Traditional Hollywood infrastructure, even with Atlanta and Vancouver expansions, can't accommodate this volume.

Studios need more capacity, and they need it on both coasts. New Jersey's East Coast location makes it ideal for productions targeting New York or East Coast settings, eliminating the need to recreate Manhattan in Los Angeles or Atlanta.

The Jobs Being Created: Who Benefits?

The $2+ billion studio build-out creates employment in two distinct phases: construction jobs during facility development (2025-2028) and permanent production jobs once operational (2028 onwards).

Construction Phase (2025-2028)

Building these massive facilities requires thousands of workers:

• Netflix Fort Monmouth: 3,500+ construction jobs
• Paramount 1888 Studios: Estimated 2,000-3,000 construction jobs
• ACX1 Studios: 500-800 construction jobs (completed)
• Atlantic Motion Picture Studios: 200-400 construction jobs

These positions span electricians, plumbers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators, concrete workers, HVAC technicians, and general laborers. Most are union jobs paying prevailing wages, providing good income for workers transitioning from other industries.

Permanent Production Jobs (2028 Onwards)

Once operational, the facilities require year-round staff:

Studio Operations:

• Soundstage technicians and maintenance crews
• Lighting and rigging specialists
• Sound engineers
• Studio managers and coordinators
• Security personnel
• Facilities management

Production Support:

• Set construction and carpentry
• Costume departments
• Props and set decoration
• Hair and makeup artists
• Catering and craft services
• Transportation coordinators

Post-Production:

• Video editors
• Sound mixers and designers
• Visual effects artists
• Color graders
• Post-production coordinators

Administrative and Business:

• Production accountants
• Legal and business affairs
• Human resources
• IT and technology support
• Marketing and communications

Netflix's Fort Monmouth facility alone is projected to create 1,500+ permanent positions. When combined with Paramount's Bayonne complex and the independent studios, New Jersey could see 4,000-6,000 permanent entertainment industry jobs by 2030.

Indirect Employment

Studio operations generate multiplier effects. Local businesses benefit from production spending:

• Hotels and lodging: Housing cast, crew, and visiting executives
• Restaurants and catering: Feeding productions and studio workers
• Equipment rental: Cameras, lighting, grip equipment, generators
• Transportation: Vehicle rentals, drivers, logistics
• Retail: Costume purchases, props, supplies
• Professional services: Lawyers, accountants, insurance agents

Industry studies suggest every direct entertainment job creates 2-3 indirect jobs in the surrounding economy. If New Jersey creates 5,000 direct studio jobs, total employment impact could reach 10,000-15,000 positions.

The Bigger Picture: New Jersey's Economic Transformation

The entertainment industry expansion comes at a pivotal moment for New Jersey's economy. The state has faced significant corporate departures in recent years, with companies relocating headquarters or downsizing offices. Traditional industries like pharmaceuticals and finance have reduced Garden State employment through automation, consolidation, and remote work adoption.

The entertainment boom offers a counternarrative: an industry that requires physical presence, generates local economic activity, and creates jobs that can't be offshored or automated. Film and television production happens where the studios and locations exist, providing economic stability that office-based industries increasingly can't guarantee.

For communities like Oceanport, Eatontown, Atlantic City, and Egg Harbor City, studio development means revitalized downtowns, increased property values, improved infrastructure, and diversified economies less dependent on single industries or employers.

The Jersey Shore, long synonymous with summer tourism, gains year-round economic activity. Productions operate on annual schedules, not seasonal patterns, providing stable employment regardless of beach weather.

What Comes Next: Career Opportunities and Training

For workers looking to enter the entertainment industry, New Jersey's boom creates tangible opportunity. But it requires preparation.

Skills in Demand

Studio production requires both specialized film skills and transferable capabilities:

Immediate transferable skills:

• Construction trades (carpentry, electrical, plumbing)
• Hospitality and catering
• Transportation and logistics
• Security services
• IT and technology support
• Accounting and business operations

Film-specific skills requiring training:

• Camera operation and cinematography
• Lighting and grip work
• Sound recording and mixing
• Video editing and post-production
• Visual effects and animation
• Production management

Training Resources

New Jersey is expanding entertainment industry training programs:

• Community colleges: Offering certificate programs in film production, video editing, and entertainment business
• Union apprenticeships: IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) locals provide on-the-job training
• Online courses: Platforms like MasterClass, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning offer film production fundamentals
• Film Ready Communities: New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission has designated 21 municipalities with resources for aspiring film workers

The key is starting now. By the time facilities open in 2028, workers with 2-3 years of relevant experience will be positioned for the best opportunities.

The Bottom Line

Hollywood isn't leaving Los Angeles, but it is expanding east. New Jersey's combination of aggressive tax incentives, proximity to New York City, available land, diverse filming locations, and pro-business government has created the conditions for a genuine entertainment industry boom.

By 2028, the Garden State will house production facilities rivaling anything in Atlanta or Vancouver. Netflix's $1 billion Fort Monmouth complex, Paramount's 1888 Studios in Bayonne, and independent facilities in Atlantic City and Egg Harbor City represent more than $2 billion in investment and 5,000+ permanent jobs.

For workers displaced by layoffs in tech, retail, and other struggling sectors, New Jersey's entertainment transformation offers real opportunity in a growing industry. For communities along the Jersey Shore, it means economic diversification and year-round employment beyond summer tourism.

The cameras aren't rolling yet, but the stages are being built. By 2028, when someone says "Hollywood," they might just mean the Jersey Shore.

Article published: August 5, 2025
Last updated: November 22, 2025