Rachel Cannon resigns as CEO of OKC's Prairie Surf Studios: What you need to know

Co-founder Rachel Cannon is stepping down as CEO of downtown Oklahoma City's Prairie Surf Studios, which has emerged in the past few years as a major force in the state's burgeoning film industry.

“Earlier this week I tendered my resignation as CEO of Prairie Surf Studios. Three years ago, coming off six seasons of ABC’s 'Fresh Off the Boat,' I paused my acting career to devote my energy to establishing the infrastructure we were missing to service high-level productions consistently in Oklahoma," Cannon said in an announcement sent Friday to The Oklahoman.

"I poured my entire heart into this studio knowing it could bridge the gap for dreamers like me that felt the entertainment industry was out of reach because they didn’t live in Los Angeles.”

What's next for OKC's Prairie Surf Studios?

A Tulsa native, Cannon worked as an actress in L.A. for two decades, appearing on numerous television series, including "Ghost Whisperer," "Two and a Half Men" and "Fresh Off the Boat." In 2020, she moved back to her home state with her husband, singer-songwriter Noah Engh, and their young son.

Back in the Sooner State, she joined forces with fellow filmmaker Matt Payne, another Oklahoma native who lived and worked for many years in L.A. before relocating to OKC, and they co-founded Prairie Surf Media.

Cannon and Payne struck a deal in 2020 with the City of Oklahoma City to open Prairie Surf Studios in the former Cox Convention Center after the new OKC Convention Center was built across from Scissortail Park.

Last year, Prairie Surf Media launched its new creative branch, Prairie Surf Creative, with Payne taking over as CEO of the new division and Cannon continuing to lead Prairie Surf Studios.

"Rachel has left a mark on our expanding film industry as Oklahoma continues to become a center for major productions and content creation," Payne said in an email to The Oklahoman. "There’s no doubt the state has benefited from her dedication. We remain confident that Prairie Surf will play a significant role in shaping the future of Oklahoma's growing film industry."

During her tenure as CEO of Prairie Surf Studios, Cannon successfully recruited and hosted major productions like the first season of the hit Paramount+ series "Tulsa King" and the upcoming blockbuster movie "Twisters," delivering a combined economic impact of more than $300 million to the state.

She also emerged as a strong advocate for the Oklahoma film industry, working alongside legislative leaders to develop a more robust incentive program to attract more significant productions to the Sooner State. Her efforts put Oklahoma in the national spotlight with features in publications like Variety, "CBS Mornings" and Deadline.

"I am forever grateful to my investment team, to Oklahoma City for allowing the creative use of this building and to our state leadership for creating a program that accelerated the growth of Oklahoma film. Together, I believe we have changed the narrative for the next generation," Cannon said in Friday's announcement.

What role did the city's decision not to renew Prairie Surf's lease have in the CEO's resignation?

In December, City Manager Craig Freeman notified city council members that the city was sending two years' notice to Prairie Surf Studios that their lease at the former Cox Convention Center would not be renewed when it expires on Dec. 31, 2025.

The city-owned site is being considered as the possible location for a new $900 million arena to host OKC Thunder games, concerts and other events and ultimately replace the Paycom Center. The former Cox Convention Center, home to Prairie Surf Studios, opened in 1972 and has long been plagued with design flaws and roof issues.

In December, Cannon thanked the city for giving Prairie Surf the chance to prove its business model and a place to set up multiple soundstages that brought in major films and TV shows as well as numerous smaller projects.

“While this wasn’t originally contemplated as a permanent home, it has wildly exceeded our expectations in supporting production at the highest level, both with 'Tulsa King' and now 'Twisters,'” Cannon said in December. “We look forward to exploring the next chapter of Prairie Surf Studios.”

But in Friday's announcement, Cannon indicated that the loss of Prairie Surf's downtown home was a factor in her decision to step down as CEO.

"With the reality of the building going away, Cannon has decided to step away from infrastructure but plans to continue her mission of building something special for Middle America right here at home," according to the announcement.

In an interview last week with The Oklahoman, Cannon said she was optimistic about and committed to the Oklahoma film industry.

"For 25 years, I've been working in entertainment in multiple capacities: I've been an actor, a writer, a producer, a film executive. ... I'm not going anywhere. Just because there's uncertainty around the location of the stages, that doesn't mean that I can't work in entertainment. For 25 years, I had to be in Los Angeles; the last few years, I could actually work in Oklahoma doing what I love," she said.

"I'm in for the long haul. I want to see this industry grow, and I think it's going to take years to get it where we want it to be. And I'm OK with that. … I think we're doing a great job of moving towards better opportunities for people to be able to live and work here."

Contributing: The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Rachel Cannon, CEO of OKC's Prairie Surf Studios, steps down