By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
Directors are shouting “action” throughout the Garden State as Netflix ramps up filming while simultaneously constructing its new 12-soundstage studio complex in Monmouth County.
The entertainment giant has been making movies and streaming shows here for years, but with Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth swiftly moving from concept to reality, that is accelerating, offering myriad opportunities for job seekers, and vendors who can provide anything from catering to building supplies.
In tandem, the state, through the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission (NJMPTVC), is signing up municipalities and businesses to accommodate Netflix and other studios already open or opening soon, including Cinelease in Jersey City, Ironbound and Great Point Studios in Newark, 1888 Studios on the Bayonne waterfront, and numerous smaller production facilities up and down the state.
Lifestyle spoke exclusively to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos at the splashy groundbreaking last May where he pushed a big red button with former Governor Phil Murphy to send a wrecking ball into a nearby building.
“We’re going to hit the ground running” (as soon as Phase 1 is ready), Sarandos told us. “We’ve got productions waiting.” Among his invited guests that day was The Sopranos creator and Jersey native David Chase, who mingled with guests and posed for photos.
Following demolition of 90 obsolete structures on the 100-year-old former U.S. Army base, the first two soundstages rose over security fencing in April. When it closed on the property in December 2025, Netflix paid $55 million for the 300-acre site spanning portions of Eatontown and Oceanport. The first phase is slated to open next year, with Phase 2 operational in 2028. The complex will be Netflix’s largest after its New Mexico studios near Albuquerque. At least 5,000 construction and permanent jobs are projected.
“We are excited to move forward with Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth, bringing new jobs and economic opportunities to New Jersey,” said Anne Kelly, Netflix vice president of studio management and services.
First Jobs Posted
In late April, Netflix was advertising for three positions: Manager, Client Services; Manager, Studio Operations; and Manager, Studio Security Operations, with salaries ranging from $165,000 - $323,000. Applications and details can be viewed at explore.jobs.netflix.net/careers.
“These first few jobs at Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth are a small but meaningful step in our commitment to New Jersey’s production renaissance,” Kelly said. “In addition to our $1 billion investment in the facility, we’re actively filming across the state, creating employment and expanding economic opportunities for the local creative community, its workforce, and surrounding businesses. We look forward to transforming this historic site into a world-class studio.”
Getting Towns and Businesses “Film Ready”
Sarandos often says Netflix chose to locate its new state-of-the-art campus in New Jersey not just for its established talent and proximity to New York and Philadelphia, but for its diverse locales - mountains, forests, beaches, urban areas, parks, historic sites, and unique homes. Thanks to the NJMPTVC, a database for that already exists.
Since launching in 2023, New Jersey’s “Film Ready” program has certified some 60 municipalities including Atlantic City, Asbury Park, Hamilton, Lambertville, and Bridgewater, with the majority in north and central Jersey so far. At least 4,000 individual filming locations are registered.
A companion Production Services Directory lists over 2,000 businesses, services, and freelancers including veteran and minority owned. Among them are restaurants, food trucks, lodging, construction and office supplies, equipment and car rentals, florists, security, and more. The program conducts workshops to educate municipal leaders on permits and how to market their communities. nj.gov/njfilm/index.shtml.
Big Mistakes, Big Benefits for NJ
How all this is working is exemplified by Dan Levy’s Big Mistakes series, filmed last year and now streaming in its entirety on Netflix. The comedy/crime thriller co-created, executive produced, written by, and starring Emmy Award winner Levy, (Schitt’s Creek) was filmed primarily in New Jersey.
During the 46-day shoot, Big Mistakes employed 300 cast and crew, worked with more than 500 vendors and filmed at over 40 locations. Business owners, municipalities, local police and fire departments, and town clerks were involved. Locations included a school, church, airport, historic farm, municipal building, swamp, hardware store, and the Crystal Inn in Eatontown, a hotel near the forthcoming fort studio.
The show, just renewed for a second season, follows Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (New Jersey native Taylor Ortega), bumbling siblings who unwittingly get involved with organized crime. Their mother is played by prolific actress Laurie Metcalf (Big Bang Theory, Roseanne), an Emmy and Tony Award winner who has been nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards.
“It was surreal getting to film in my home state,” Ortega said. “I never thought I’d be returning home for such a major project and moment in my life.”
Netflix’s commitment to sustainable production and “cleantech” continues in the Garden State. Electric and hybrid cars were utilized, and the production’s overall generator fuel use was reduced by 25%. Renewable diesel was used, further reducing carbon emissions. The production also donated over 3,700 pounds of food.
Big Mistakes is the first of several upcoming Netflix projects filmed here, including 72 Hours (Kevin Hart), Here Comes the Flood (Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson), Little Brother (John Cena, Eric Andre’), Rabbit, Rabbit (Adam Driver, Kerry Washington), The Whisper Man, (Robert Di Niro, Michele Monaghan, Michael Keaton), and Roommates (Adam Sandler, Natasha Lyonne).
“The transformation of this historic site into a world-class studio and production facility is bringing new jobs and expansive economic opportunities to our communities,” said Kara Kopach, executive director of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, the entity that has overseen the 1,126-acre fort’s redevelopment since it was shuttered in 2011. “While the groundwork for the fort’s revitalization and success has been paved by many successful developments for over a decade, we look forward to this next exciting chapter.”
Laura D.C. Kolnoski is an award-winning journalist covering news, travel, and entertainment who has reported on the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth since 2011. She exclusively broke the news of Netflix’s desire to build its new production studio there in 2021, for which she was honored by the New Jersey Press Association.
