MINNEAPOLIS — Watching a farmer draw water from a Stillwater well would be a chore if the “farmer” wasn’t Nicolas Cage, one of the biggest stars to commit to a Minnesota-made movie in two decades.

“Parish,” currently filming on deteriorating property near Axdahl’s Greenhouse, centers around a post-apocalyptic survivor taking on zombies. But the shoot last week didn’t feature any battles or bloodshed, which may explain why an actor famous for his intensity both on- and off-screen seemed so relaxed.

It probably didn’t hurt that he also had a very special visitor.

“OK, Auggie?” he asked his 4-year-old daughter, nursing a box drink from a director’s chair after wrapping the scene. As the crew of about 80 broke for a late lunch, the Oscar winner (for “Leaving Las Vegas”) took his child’s hand and strolled to his trailer.

Moments like this used to be common in the ’90s, when marquee names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marisa Tomei, Natalie Portman and Jack Lemmon routinely worked in Minnesota. But when tax incentives slowed down, so did the parade of stars.

The last time Hollywood heavyweights left a major imprint in the state was 2005, when Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand were doing “North Country” across the Iron Range, and Meryl Streep and Lindsay Lohan set up shop in downtown St. Paul for “A Prairie Home Companion.”

But Minnesota natives are working hard to rekindle showbiz’s love affair with the Upper Midwest.

Brianna Fischer, who grew up in Edina, used her pull as executive in charge of production to convince director Adam Sigal to shoot “Parish” here.

“I showed them a whole bunch of options, but I kind of knew this is the one they’d like,” said Fischer, who used the same property for the 2024 film, “Marmalade” starring Joe Keery (“Stranger Things”).

Sigal, who had never been to Minnesota before, has been impressed.

“It’s terrific,” said Sigal, who has been based here long enough to have celebrated his birthday at the State Fair. “You can tell it’s a state that’s very artistically inclined.”

Sigal, who previously helmed “Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose,” logs 12-hour work days, not including his daily commute from Minneapolis, which makes it hard to soak in the sights. But he has become hooked on Caribou Coffee’s iced tea.

Producer Joel Shapiro loves the chili at Stillwater’s Cozzie’s Tavern & Grill, which may explain why the crew will be shooting a scene there later this month. Producer Amile Wilson raved about his night at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. Production designer Scott Daniel and his family have become big fans of Smilin Moose Lodge Bar & Grill in Hudson.

Cage has been spotted with his wife and daughter at Paisley Park, the Renaissance Festival and Oro by Nixta.

But the choice to be here has little to do with our rich culture. The main draw is the five-year-old Minnesota Film Production Tax Credit program, which allows productions that spend a minimum of $1 million in the state to get a tax credit of up to 25%.

“That plays such a massive part,” said Sigal, sporting a Stanley Kubrick baseball cap and a tattoo of a movie clapperboard on his neck. “The incentive now is good and will hopefully get better.”

Sigal then broke away to chat with his leading man. Behind them was the main character’s house with peeling wallpaper, cluttered with paperback novels, a stack of car batteries, a TV you might find at your grandparents’ garage sale and a chalkboard with marks that may be a record of how long Cage’s Parish has stayed alive.

To the right was a garden, as well as a stuffed dummy used to train the character’s attack dogs.

A metal wall, which took nearly three weeks to build, lines the property that’s about a six-minute drive from downtown Stillwater. It serves as both the character’s barricade from outsiders and a sound barrier from road traffic.

The farm is big enough to serve as both the main set and base camp, with plenty of parking for the trailers and more than 50 cars. One barn has been converted into a mess hall, which seemed to have as many bottles of pain relievers as it did snacks. The views include a patch of woods, the perfect shelter for creatures planning their next attack.

“It’s iconic,” said Wilson, the producer. “I’ve got this great photo of mist rolling in that captures a little bit of a hillside and some crops. It truly looks like anywhere in America, which is what you want on a project like this.”

Wilson hopes to bring more productions to the state. So does Fischer. When “Parish” is done, she will shift to working on Mark Rylance’s “Nice Fish,” an adaptation of the play that premiered at the Guthrie Theater, around Mille Lacs Lake and Lake Waconia.

According to Nell Lawrenz-Wareham, deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film, there are 17 active films supported by the state film tax credit in various stages of production. A lot are independent projects, which Lawrenz-Wareham is more than happy to crow about. But she understands the added appeal when a name like Cage is involved.

“Films with big stars attached have a multi-pronged impact,” she said. “It supports the local economy, with the production and its staff spending at restaurants, hotels and small businesses in the host community, and it becomes a point of local pride.”

Shapiro was surprised and delighted when a local farmer stopped by the set during the first week to donate a bunch of strawberries.

Those kind of welcome gifts may become harder to come by if Hollywood-in-the-heartland becomes more routine.

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