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When Taylor Sheridan moved his productions to Texas, few could’ve predicted just how much of an economic juggernaut it would become. Now, the Yellowstone creator’s footprint in Fort Worth isn’t just about storytelling — it’s reshaping the entire city’s economy, attracting billions in investment, and making “Hollywood South” feel a lot less like a nickname and more like a reality.

At the heart of this transformation are two names long synonymous with Texas ambition — Ross Perot Jr. and Mike Berry, the chairman and president of Hillwood, the real estate development powerhouse behind the 27,000-acre AllianceTexas project. Speaking at a TCU Center for Real Estate event this fall, the pair reflected on how a small airport project became one of the country’s most dynamic regions — and how Sheridan’s presence could define its next chapter.

“You cannot be a great city if you don’t have great developers,” Perot told the crowd, crediting TCU students and their families for fueling Fort Worth’s growth. Berry added with a grin, “We have an unofficial motto at Hillwood. NML. Need more land.” But their real excitement came when the topic turned to Sheridan. As Berry recalled, when Fort Worth’s business leaders met to brainstorm the city’s next big economic push, Perot surprised everyone by bringing up Yellowstone. “He stood up and said, ‘This Taylor Sheridan thing is real. The whole Yellowstone craze is. You should grab that and make a whole economic development strategy around it.’”

Berry admitted he was skeptical — until Sheridan’s shows started pulling in global audiences and generating hundreds of millions in local revenue. “Sure enough, as he is in most areas, where he’s five or 10 years ahead of everybody, he was right,” Berry said. Perot laughed, but his reasoning was simple. “You have a Fort Worth citizen, Taylor Sheridan, and his shows really do resonate with the Texas crowd and the U.S. crowd,” he said. “That’s why I said: ‘This guy generates so much activity. How do we embrace him as a city? How do we have filming here? And where will it go?’”

What Is Taylor Sheridan Building?

The answer turned out to be SGS Studios, a massive 450,000-square-foot facility built in partnership with Sheridan’s production company, Hillwood, and Paramount Television. The complex, located in Alliance, is now the largest active studio space in the Lone Star State — big enough to host four large-scale productions at once.

Hillwood and Sheridan reportedly invested $65 million in the studio and are working closely with TCU and local schools to train a new generation of film professionals. The goal isn’t just to build a studio — it’s to build an ecosystem. “SGS Studios isn’t just about soundstages or tax incentives — it’s about reclaiming the independence and grit that built this industry in the first place,” Sheridan said. “Texas offers something rare: the space to dream big, the freedom to build fast, and a community that still believes storytelling matters.”

“You are lucky to live in Texas,” Perot told the audience. “And lucky to be here at TCU.”

Sheridan’s influence is everywhere. Landman Season 2 is the most recent series to have publicly filmed there, and the show — starring Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, and 1923’s Michelle Randolph — follows oilman Tommy Norris as he navigates greed, cartel threats, and the West Texas oil boom. The first season shattered streaming records, becoming Paramount+’s most-watched original debut ever. Season 2 arrives next month.