OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Rachel Cannon, an Oklahoma native who co-starred in the hit television sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, is launching a new entertainment company that aims to develop live-audience sitcoms in Oklahoma.
Cannon’s new company is called Rock Paper Cannon, and she aspires to build a Middle America comedy hub that produces entertainment for live audiences with a focus on multicamera sitcoms.
Both a television star and former studio CEO, Cannon plans to partner with entertainment industry talent to elevate Oklahoma’s creative industry, expand job opportunities and grow the state’s economy. In addition to having a recurring role on Fresh Off the Boat, Cannon’s 80-plus network tv credits include Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory and Mad Men. She is also the former CEO of Prairie Surf Studios in Oklahoma City and helped recruit major productions to Oklahoma, including Tulsa King and Twisters. She now wants to make Oklahoma a destination for television productions.
“There’s nothing quite like the magic of filming a sitcom in front of a live audience—the energy is electric, and the experience is truly unmatched,” Cannon said. “Bringing this vision to life and sharing it with my home state is a dream I’ve nurtured for over 20 years, making this moment incredibly special.”
Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell said he has high hopes for Rock Paper Cannon, saying it can be a force for economic growth.
“Rock Paper Cannon represents an exciting step toward diversifying Oklahoma’s economy and making our state a national destination for live entertainment,” Pinnell said. “Rachel Cannon is a force. Her vision will not only attract top tier talent and tourism but it will support job creation while celebrating the stories and values unique to Middle America.”
Jeanette Stanton, deputy director of the Oklahoma Film & Music Office, is also rooting for Cannon.
“We are proud to have worked with Rachel Cannon in expanding Oklahoma’s entertainment footprint, and we look forward to seeing Rock Paper Cannon drive new opportunities and economic impact,” Stanton said. “Oklahomans are poised to have a front row seat to the exciting productions Rock Paper Cannon is committed to bringing to the state in this next transformative chapter for the industry.”
Cannon, Pinnell and Stanton participated in a panel discussion in September about the rise of Oklahoma’s entertainment industry and the ongoing effort to attract more film and television productions to the state.
Film and television production has grown significantly in Oklahoma in recent years. The following major productions were filmed in the Sooner State:
- The summer blockbuster Twisters was shot in Oklahoma.
- The first season of the Paramount Plus show Tulsa King was filmed in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and other in-state areas.
- The popular FX television show Reservation Dogs is shot in the Sooner State, specifically in Okmulgee.
- The critically-acclaimed feature film Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser, filmed in several locations across Oklahoma, including Bartlesville, Fairfax, Osage County, Pawhuska and Tulsa.
- The theatrically released Reagan was filmed almost entirely in Guthrie.
“Not only do we have films that are in theaters, but we have films that are crushing the box office that were filmed in Oklahoma,” Cannon said during the panel.
The Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021 gives a maximum of $30 million in cash rebates to film and television productions shot in Oklahoma each fiscal year, which is from July 1 to June 30, for 10 years. A production must spend over $50,000 in the state to qualify for the rebate.
Pinnell said during the panel that entertainment industry executives want state leaders to raise the rebate incentive to between $50-80 million.
“Frankly, many would like to take it higher than that,” Pinnell said during the panel.
The rebate incentive has to be raised to lock in production companies that are interested in filming in Oklahoma, according to Pinnell
“We turned away about $80 million worth of business last year, and that’s one of the reasons the industry was looking to get an $80-million rebate program,” Pinnell said. “We’ll see what the legislature is open to. There’s going to be asking for more money for state agencies. What I can tell any legislator though is the return on the investment that they’re going to get [by increasing the rebate incentive]. The return on the investment right now is very, very good when it comes to this incentive.”
Over $118 million was spent in Oklahoma in 2023 on film production, as well as around $58 million in payroll to people working in those productions.
Pinnell said that while Oklahoma’s 20 percent base rebate is strong, it’s not high enough to compete with incentives offered in Georgia, which grants a 30 percent income tax credit to film and TV productions, New Mexico, which has a 25-40 percent tax credit, and Texas, which provides up to 22.5 percent cash grants on qualified expenditures.
