Oklahoma's Growing Film Industry Attracts Talent From Coast To Coast

Oklahoma is making strides in the film industry.

Actors, writers, and filmmakers who live in the Tulsa area are building a community that wasn’t here 20 years ago.

A lot of them network and get feedback at popular script-reading events held at Circle Cinema.

Walking into the Circle Cinema Sandbox, you might forget you're in Tulsa. You'll find actors, writers, producers, and filmmakers collaborating in ways you'd expect to see in New York or Los Angeles.

"Oklahoma per capita has so much creative talent, it's insane," said Will Wilson.

This gathering is the brainchild of actor and writer PJ Sosko.

"It's more about seeing good work or being inspired by the work. And that generates a really good energy. And I have been a part of that so much in New York, and it has sustained me," Sosko said.

You might recognize him from shows like Reservation Dogs, New Amsterdam, and HBO's Girls on the Bus in his role as Hunter S. Thompson. He moved to Tulsa four years ago.

“I was a New York actor for 30 years, and had a very nice career,” Sosko said. “I was happy, had a little child, family. We’d just gotten into a new place, and then COVID came through and just wiped everything out, and it forced me to kind of come down here.”

However, after the move, Sosko's career still soared.

“I’ve been able to work in New York, here in Oklahoma, in Texas, in Arkansas, and do a whole incredible range of projects that I never would have gotten wind of if I was in New York, which is crazy,” he said.

Sosko isn’t alone. Hannah Reese moved here from Los Angeles.

"We thought we were going to be farmers at first, but, I mean, we are so busy. My daughter was in Twisters as an official cast member. And I've done several films out here."

The filmmaking community is growing and expanding as Oklahoma stakes its claim in the industry.

Sosko hopes creative gatherings like this one will keep the community inspired in a place no one expected—where people can live their Hollywood dreams.

"A lot of energy can be sustained in a room just for some words and some listening. It's really cool to be part of that, and I want to bring that here to Tulsa as much as I can."

The script reading events are held once a month at Circle Cinema.