Patrick Millsaps, the former Chief of Staff for Newt Gingrich’s 2012 presidential campaign and the current CEO of Kane Studio, has filed an application to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs detailing his plans to build a $700M film and television studio campus 30 miles south of Atlanta in southern Fulton County. Once complete, the campus would include movie studios, food services, retail space, and private roads and utilities across 1,600 acres. 

“Our intention is to build a world-class television and film production facility while respecting the very special aesthetic and quality of life the incredible and visionary citizens of Chattahoochee Hills have created,” said Millsaps. “Our priority is to be a good neighbor that will not only increase the tax base for the city but to provide local high-paying jobs as well as training and educational opportunities.”

The proposed development, nicknamed Project Rosebud by the Development of Regional Impact application, would start its first phase of construction by building 500,000 square feet of mini-studio space in the center of the property. Milsaps estimates that it would take four years to complete this initial stage and is optimistic about its immediate usage. 

“We already have takers for that amount of square footage. That gets us out of the gate,” Millsaps explained to members of the Chattahoochee City Council. “Hopefully, we have that by August 2023.”  

This is the second time Milsaps has planned to build a film studio in Georgia. His first attempt, which was even bigger than the 3.2 million square-foot campus that he wants to build now, was shut down in 2020, likely due to the pandemic. Plans are currently ramping up for the second attempt, and Millsaps is eager to pitch his ideas. 

“Our hope is that when you pass the property from the road, all you’re ever going to see is our farm and perhaps something that looks like a little European village,” Millsaps told the council. “If we do it right, that’s all you’re going to see.”