Netflix is transforming this US Army base into a $900 million movie studio; CEO Ted Sarandos says, 'I was in love with…'

Netflix is transforming a former US Army base in central New Jersey into a $900 million movie studio. The new production hub, Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth , will be located on a long-abandoned US Army base. The streaming major recently broke ground on the facility that will span 500,000 square feet and include soundstages, a backlot, post-production suites, and offices. This project represents a significant East Coast expansion for Netflix, while the deal to build the campus in Eatontown is supported by $387 million in tax credits from New Jersey. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos cited New Jersey’s film and digital media tax credits as critical to the company’s investment. These tax credits offer up to 35% for production expenses and up to 40% for digital post-production.


What Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said about building a studio in New Jersey


In a statement to the New York Post, Sarandos said that the company expects “that these studios will create thousands of jobs for New Jersey residents, billions of dollars of economic output and many cultural benefits for the region and for the state.”

“I was in love with this idea from the very first conversation with Gov. [Phil] Murphy,” Sarandos said.

Though a native of New Jersey, he noted that the decision was based on economics rather than sentiment.

California’s position as the country’s film hub has declined as studios have moved production to lower‑tax areas like Georgia and the United Kingdom. An April report by ProdPro found New Jersey ranked sixth in US film and TV production, with $536 million in spending over the past year, behind California, New York, Illinois, New Mexico, and Georgia.

Netflix currently has seven productions underway in New Jersey and plans to increase its output substantially after the Fort Monmouth facility is finished, which is scheduled for 2028.