Anita Verma-Lallian proposes $6-12 B AI-Driven Film Campus Near Phoenix

Anita Verma-Lallian, who runs Camelback Productions and Arizona Land Consulting, is pushing a $6-12 billion plan to build the United States’ largest film and entertainment complex on a 1,400-acre site off I-10 west of Phoenix. The development will feature backlots, a Universal-style theme park, hotels, retail, residential units and an AI and tech center anchored by a data center that will run the whole campus on renewable energy.

Funding is expected to be staged through private-equity partners, construction loans and capital from Social Capital chief Chamath Palihapitiya. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved zoning for 1,000 acres, and Verma-Lallian hopes to break ground within the next year, rolling out construction over ten years. She argues the location offers cheaper land, lower taxes and a right-to-work environment compared with Los Angeles, though the proposal may provoke pushback from Hollywood unions and critics of data-center expansion. Oscar-nominated actor Kumail Nanjiani sits on the company’s board, and the venture is positioned as a “blank canvas” to revitalize film production through AI-driven tools.