Captain America star Anthony Mackie plans plans to invest his money into his hometown, New Orleans.
According to Nola.com, the New Orleans-born actor closed a deal on March 11 to purchase 20 acres of land in New Orleans East. It’s believed that the location will be the home of East Studios LLC, a Mackie-led film studio, multiple sources say.
“The actor, 43, who trained initially at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, said through his agent that it was premature to discuss specifics,” the outlet revealed. However, “several people involved in the months-long negotiation for the land said Mackie intends to site his new production company, East Studios LLC, at the Read Boulevard tract and is looking to buy more space nearby.”
The site will reportedly include the acquisition of intellectual property, development, production, and marketing.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell expressed her excitement on Twitter about Mackie’s decision to develop projects in the state of Louisiana.
The New Orleans East is making a comeback, bam💥👏
New Orleans own Anthony Mackie is opening a HUGE 20-acre film studio!
This is INCREDIBLE !!💛⚜️
The influx of productions will not only bring economic growth but job opportunities! pic.twitter.com/h0hlswdh1g
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) March 18, 2022
Mackie is a New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) graduate and has taken on dozens of film and television roles, such as Marvel’s Falcon. He recently moved into producing, with credits on films including The Banker and Outside the Wire.
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Mackie’s brother Dr. Calvin Mackie also has plans to advance their hometown of New Orleans.
Dr. Mackie is making Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) accessible to children, and he plans to build a 42,000-square-foot innovation hub by 2023 to support the growing community.
“We took technology and the human capital out into the community. Now we made a connection, and we want the community to follow us, so we are building a home where they can come and get more in-depth training based on what they are interested in,” Dr. Calvin told AfroTech.
We’re excited to watch this unfold and wish the Mackie brothers the best of luck in their hometown endeavors.