Editor’s note: Several different Fort McClellan stories have been circulating online. This article separates what has been publicly confirmed from what is still planned, proposed or unannounced.

For years, people around Calhoun County have heard big ideas about what could happen at the former Fort McClellan. This summer, one of the most visible signs of a new chapter is scheduled to arrive: cameras, actors and local extras for a feature film.

At the same time, comedian and actor Katt Williams is moving forward with a much larger entertainment vision at a privately owned portion of the former Army post. His company, Kemet Movie Works, is promoting plans for soundstages, virtual-production technology, original films and television projects, workforce training and eventually a large amphitheater.

Those two developments have naturally become blended together in local conversation. The important thing to know is that both stories are real, but there is currently no public confirmation that they are the same project.

Here is what we know about the movie coming to Fort McClellan, what Williams actually purchased, what Kemet Movie Works says it intends to build and what all of it could mean for Anniston and Calhoun County.

The feature film scheduled at Fort McClellan

A casting notice shared by Jacksonville State University’s Department of Theatre and Film stated that an upcoming feature film titled Model Citizen was scheduled to shoot at Fort McClellan from July 29 through August 8, 2026. Based on that schedule, filming should be underway as this article is published.

The movie is set in a near-future America where appeals by death-row inmates have been turned into a live-streamed clemency competition called “Public Appeal.” The story follows three inmates inside a fictional prison called Fort McAdams as they compete for public sympathy and a chance to survive.

The production recruited local residents to appear as audience members, protesters, merchandise vendors and other background or featured extras. Jacksonville State University’s Department of Theatre and Film shared the opportunity, while making clear that the university itself was not handling casting.

That is a meaningful local development. A feature film bringing a production crew and recruiting area residents gives Fort McClellan a chance to demonstrate that it can function as more than an interesting backdrop. It can operate as a practical filming location.

Several major details, however, had not been publicly announced as of August 3. Available casting information did not name the director, leading actors, production company, distributor or expected release date. It also did not identify the exact property within the larger McClellan community where scenes would be filmed.

Is Model Citizen a Katt Williams or Kemet Movie Works production?

There is no publicly confirmed connection at this time.

The casting notice says Model Citizen is scheduled to film at Fort McClellan, but it does not name Katt Williams, Kemet Movie Works or the Starships property that Williams acquired. Kemet’s own website lists several original concepts in development, but Model Citizen is not among the titles currently shown there.

That does not prove there is no private relationship behind the scenes. It simply means a connection has not been announced, and it would be inaccurate to present the film as a Katt Williams production without that confirmation.

The better way to describe what is happening is this: a feature film is scheduled to shoot at Fort McClellan while Williams is separately developing a film and entertainment campus on another portion of the former base. Taken together, those developments point to growing film activity in the same historic community, even if they are not part of the same production.

Did Katt Williams buy Fort McClellan?

Not all of it.

The phrase “Katt Williams bought Fort McClellan” has traveled quickly online, but it makes the purchase sound much larger than it was. Fort McClellan once covered more than 45,000 acres, and the former base is now divided among a mixed-use community, private owners, government operations, National Guard training land and the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge.

Williams acquired a privately owned property commonly known as Starships, located within the former base. His publicist confirmed the purchase in November 2024, and the seller’s broker said the Starships property was acquired through an LLC. Property information made public around the time of the sale described more than 90 acres of usable land, 30 concrete buildings, multiple former barracks and two gymnasiums.

The purchase price has not been publicly disclosed. The property had been marketed at $1.5 million before the sale, but a listing price is not the same thing as the final amount paid.

Williams has been open about wanting to expand beyond performing and build a larger entertainment business. He has compared that ambition to the studio empire Tyler Perry built in Georgia.

That comparison explains the ambition, but Kemet is still at an earlier stage of development.

What Kemet Movie Works is planning

Williams founded Kemet Movie Works with his business manager, William Hanford Lee, and entertainment liaison LaRonda Sutton. The company describes its Anniston campus as a Southern production hub designed for film, television, music, live events and creative businesses.

Kemet’s current website markets a 140-acre campus with more than 1 million square feet of office space. That description differs from some of the earlier property-listing figures, which referenced more than 90 acres and a much larger total amount of indoor space. The public sources do not explain the difference, so those measurements should be treated as separate descriptions rather than combined into one total.

The company’s plan centers on two production stages:

• Stage A is designed around a high-resolution LED wall for virtual production, computer-generated environments and immersive sets.

• Stage B is designed with a cyclorama wall, which creates a smooth, continuous background for commercials, television and film work.

Kemet also promotes flexible office space for production companies and creative businesses, along with a proposed 6,000-seat amphitheater for concerts, festivals, screenings and other live events.

There is an important distinction between the company’s overall vision and what has been completed. Although the facilities section describes the soundstages and amphitheater in finished terms, Kemet’s investor information says Phase 1 requires $10 million, with $3 million secured from Williams and another $7 million needed to complete the stages and equip them with production technology. It identifies the amphitheater as a separate $18 million Phase 2 project.

In other words, the campus is being actively promoted and developed, but key parts of the full vision still require additional investment.

Kemet already has original projects on its development slate

Kemet says two feature films and a documentary series are in pre-production, although it has not publicly released titles or schedules for those particular productions.

Its original-productions page also presents four “coming soon” concepts:

• Southern Stories, a documentary series about overlooked people, places and events in Southern history

• Legends of the Chitlin’ Circuit, a documentary series about the Black performers and venues that shaped American entertainment during segregation

• The Southern Gothic, a drama series built around mystery, folklore, history and cultural conflict in the South

• Hometown Heroes, a film focused on people making a difference in small communities

These titles show the type of storytelling Kemet wants to pursue. However, no casts, release dates, distribution partners or production timetables are currently listed, so they are best described as projects in development rather than completed productions.

A partnership with Miles College adds a workforce component

One of the most concrete steps since the purchase is Kemet’s partnership with Miles College, the historically Black college in Fairfield.

The agreement is designed to connect Miles students with artificial intelligence and augmented-reality production opportunities at Williams’ Fort McClellan facility. Miles College has publicly confirmed that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Kemet Productions to give students access to emerging production technology and creative-industry opportunities.

That matters because a successful film campus needs more than buildings. It needs people who understand lighting, sound, set construction, effects, editing, production management and rapidly changing digital tools. If Kemet can build a dependable talent pipeline, the project has a better chance of creating work that stays in Alabama instead of simply renting space to crews that bring every employee with them.

For Calhoun County, the long-term opportunity would be even stronger if future partnerships also create clear pathways for local high school students, Gadsden State students, Jacksonville State students, tradespeople and area businesses.

Why Fort McClellan makes sense as a filming location

Fort McClellan has something most new studio developments would have to spend years and millions of dollars trying to create: a large collection of authentic settings in one place.

Historic military buildings, barracks, offices, open fields, wooded areas, mountain scenery and nearby small-town streets give producers multiple looks without moving an entire crew across a major city. Kemet also promotes Anniston’s access to Atlanta’s deep production workforce while offering lower congestion and more room to operate.

The site carries genuine history as well. Fort McClellan was established as a permanent Army facility during World War I, and nearly 500,000 military personnel trained there during World War II. It later became home to the Women’s Army Corps Center and School, the Army Chemical School and the Army Military Police School before closing in 1999. Today, McClellan is a 10,000-acre mixed-use community with homes, businesses, educational facilities, government operations and protected natural land. The full history is detailed by the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Alabama’s film incentives also strengthen the business case. For qualifying projects, the state currently offers a rebate equal to 25 percent of certain in-state production spending and 35 percent of payroll paid to Alabama residents. Qualified productions may also receive an exemption from the state portion of sales, use and lodging taxes, according to the Alabama Department of Revenue.

Those incentives do not guarantee that a production will choose Anniston, but they give Fort McClellan a more competitive pitch when combined with its buildings, land, history and location.

What film production could mean for Calhoun County

The most immediate benefits of a production are often spread across many local businesses. Crews need hotel rooms, meals, fuel, vehicles, building materials, equipment, security, cleaning, office supplies and places to gather after work. Background actors and day workers are hired. Local properties may be rented for filming or support operations.

One movie does not create a permanent film industry by itself. The bigger economic opportunity comes from repeat production. If one project has a good experience, the location becomes easier to recommend to another producer. A growing studio can then offer stages, office space, trained workers and predictable support instead of asking each production to build its own system from the ground up.

That is why Model Citizen matters even without a confirmed Kemet connection. It is a real-world test of Fort McClellan as a production location. Kemet, meanwhile, is trying to build the infrastructure that could turn occasional filming into recurring business.

What we are still waiting to learn

There is plenty of reason for local interest, but several major questions remain:

• Who is producing and directing Model Citizen, and when will its cast and release plans be announced?

• Which exact Fort McClellan property is being used for the film?

• When will Kemet’s two soundstages be completed and ready for outside productions?

• Will the remaining Phase 1 investment be secured?

• When, or if, will construction begin on the proposed amphitheater?

• Which Kemet original project will be the first to enter full production in Anniston?

• How many local workers and Calhoun County businesses will be part of future productions?

Those answers will tell us whether this becomes a lasting new industry for the area or remains a collection of promising early projects.

A real opportunity, with the story still being written

The most accurate way to describe Fort McClellan right now is both exciting and grounded.

A feature film is scheduled to be in production at the former base. Katt Williams has purchased a significant private property there and launched Kemet Movie Works. His team has published plans for modern soundstages, original programming, student training, office space and a future amphitheater. At the same time, the company’s own information shows that major construction and funding milestones are still ahead.

That is not a reason to dismiss the project. It is a reason to follow it closely and report it clearly.

Fort McClellan has spent more than a century training people, supporting missions and shaping the Anniston area. If the current momentum turns into repeat productions, skilled jobs and new business for local companies, its next major role may be helping Calhoun County tell stories to audiences far beyond Alabama.

For now, the cameras scheduled to roll on Model Citizen are an important start. What happens after they leave will be the part of the story that matters most.

Photo Credits: Stanley Barracks and Buckner Hall photographs by Chris Pruitt via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Women’s Army Corps photograph by Charlotte Brooks, Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-09449. Kemet Movie Works property photographs courtesy of Kemet Movie Works.