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Business

Should S. Georgia officials cut bait on massive movie complex plans?

By Matt Kempner
Sept 4, 2015

Georgia has gotten big into movie making, and production sites are popping up. But none are as big as what a company that goes by two names, Moon River Studios and FONU2, says it will do in Effingham County near Savannah.

Like any great drama, there are risks and rewards.

Moon River says it will create lots of jobs and turn moving-making into a production line operation not unlike making cars.

A local development authority gave the company a sweetheart lease on more than 1,500 acres of public land, tax free and with no rent for the first two years.

But the project is far behind schedule. Construction of the first building has yet to begin, and Moon River doesn’t have enough money to keep operating for long, much less to build studios.

A happy ending is far from certain.

ExploreFind out more about the drama in Matt Kempner’s Unofficial Business column on myAJC.com.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

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