An Effingham County commission has approved the master plan for a movie studio and officials say development is expected to begin soon.

Master plans for Medient Studios Inc. were approved Tuesday by the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority. Construction is expected to begin in August.

Medient Studios officials are looking to sign a lease on a 1,550-acre property Aug. 19 and groundbreaking is scheduled for Aug. 29.

Medient Studios Inc. chairman Manu Kumaran says he's confident the studio will be up and running by the first quarter of 2014.

Medient is an entertainment company with ties to India and Europe. Officials say the company has produced or financed more than 250 movies.

Tags: Effingham County, movie studio, Medient, Medient Studios