American Idol to relocate production from Hollywood to Georgia
Fremantle confirmed that the long-running singing competition will move its production to the Atlanta area, attracted by Georgia's tax incentives.
Fremantle, the company that produces and distributes "American Idol," told NBCLA that the show will shift its filming base from Hollywood to Georgia. The firm is in final negotiations with a studio near Atlanta, though no contract has been signed yet. Georgia offers a 20 percent transferable film tax credit and an additional 10 percent uplift for projects that provide promotional value to the state and spend at least $500,000 in a tax year. The state has become a major filming hub outside Los Angeles and New York, hosting productions such as "Stranger Things," "The Walking Dead," and recent feature films.
The series concluded its 24th season in May, with the finale featuring contestants Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper and Keyla Richardson; Harper from Missouri was declared the winner. This season also saw judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan move the traditional "Hollywood Week" to Nashville, and a special round in Hawaii that included an industry panel featuring Grand Ole Opry host Kelly Sutton, vocal coach Cheryl Porter and Rolling Stone co-editor Shirley Halperin.