After the Legislature declined to adequately expand tax incentives for the film industry in Montana, a team of developers poised to open a multi-million studio in Missoula were forced to change course.

A legislative bill aimed at expanding the state’s film cap to aid and entice the industry’s growth failed to produce what proponents had sought. Gov. Greg Gianforte’s signature on the bill ultimately sank Shadowcast’s multi-million dollar investment in Missoula.

On Thursday, Shadowcast Partners closed on a $1.5 million offer for several Missoula County lots in the Development Park, where the company now plans to construct a distribution center for electric freight trucks.

By Martin Kidston