Justin Timberlake, Salma Hayek and Michael Douglas are among a host of celebrities working on films in Louisiana, contributing to what's shaping up to be the busiest year for the state's film industry to date.

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Crews shoot a movie in New Orleans.

Figures released this week by the state Office of Entertainment Industry Development show about two-dozen film and television projects in production or pre-production in the state so far this year. There were 53 in all of 2007.

"We're on track to break last year's total," Chris Stelly, director of film and television for the state, said.

Stelly says that although filmmaking has been on the rise in Louisiana since the state adopted a widely successful package of tax credits for film and television productions in 2002, the state has arguably never looked more like its moniker "Hollywood South" than it does right now.

As Timberlake and Jeff Bridges work on the independent drama "The Open Road" in New Orleans, Douglas and Jesse Metcalfe are filming a remake of the 1950s criminal drama "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" in the northern Louisiana town of Shreveport.

Also in production in the state are the action flick "12 Rounds" starring World Wrestling Entertainment's John Cena, Universal Pictures' "Cirque du Freak" starring Hayek and John C. Reilly, the sci-fi feature film "Robosapien" -- based on the popular toy by the same name -- and the horror sequel "Final Destination 4."

Dean Devlin, executive producer of "The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice" starring Noah Wyle and Bob Newhart, which is currently in production in New Orleans, says he's been impressed with everything from the services to the people while working here.

This was his first time working in Louisiana.

"This was a very good experience for us," he said during a short break in filming earlier this week. "I have shot in other places and it looks beautiful, but it was too painful. This was not. This was really a joy, a joy on the set, a joy off the set. People took care of us.

"I definitely intend to do more work here, for sure," he said.

Stelly and the spokeswoman for his office, Amber Havens, said infrastructure and personnel to support the industry needs to grow as demand grows for the state as a film location.

Havens said Louisiana is working to get funding to further develop its infrastructure and resources, such as training residents in crew positions -- grips, lighting, camera operators, wardrobe, set construction and painting.

Havens said one of the industry's biggest successes has been its expansion across the state, particularly into Shreveport. Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the industry "relocated to as far north as possible without leaving the state, and Shreveport was ready to step up and embrace it," she said.

Shreveport, she says, had the right resources, such as hotel space and office space. But mostly, she said, it's been a welcoming community.

"It's stayed and has gotten bigger because of the local officials and community there," she said.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)