$750M Film Credit Expansion Touted As Economic Booster By Newsom, Bass

BURBANK, CA — Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Burbank Wednesday with state and local officials to take a victory lap over the passage of legislation that will more than double California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program from $330 million to $750 million and add 16 new television projects expected to generate $1.1 billion in economic activity.

Newsom was also joined by labor representatives and entertainment leaders at The Ranch Lot Studios at Warner Bros. on Wednesday to mark the expansion, which they say solidifies California's status as the "global epicenter of film and television production." The expanded program will also support below-the-line jobs and increase industry investment.

The governor is also awarding 16 new television shows through the program which, taken together, are collectively anticipated to bring in $1.1 billion in total spending and nearly 6,700 cast and crew jobs across the state.

"California is where filmed entertainment was born, and with this expansion, we're making sure it stays here," Newsom said. "We're not just investing in productions and soundstages — we're investing in middle-class careers, small businesses, and the communities that power this iconic industry."

The new TV projects, which have been approved across the program's last three television application windows, include nine renewals, two pilots, four new shows and one relocating show, the governor said.

Altogether, the projects are expected to hire 6,664 cast and crew members, as well as 59,000 background performers — measured in days worked, across 1,308 total California filming days.

Highlights from the projects include nine returning TV series, including HBO Max's "The Pitt," Hulu's hit "Paradise" and CBS' "NCIS: Origins," Newsom said.

There are also two shows that will film outside of the Los Angeles area for a total of 23 filming days, and one relocating series — Prime Video's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass praised the move, noting that the entertainment industry touches the city in many ways.

"You need to think about the tailor and the florist and the caterer. I know the general public can think it's about A-list actors — its not," Bass said on Ava DuVernay's "Onward" live stream Thursday. "It's the overall economic impact. It's a foundational economic driver in our city."

Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to the governor and director of GO-Biz, called the decision part of "California's long game."

"By doubling down on this commitment, we're ensuring California remains the premier place to work, create, and tell stories that reach across the world," Myers said in a statement.

Since 2009, the tax credit program has generated more than $27 billion in economic activity and supported over 209,000 jobs across nearly 850 projects.

Newsom's office said each tax credit dollar returns about $24.40 in economic output, $16.14 in gross domestic product and $8.60 in wages.

The expanded program prioritizes workforce development, adds funding for the Career Pathways Training Program and launches what officials called the nation's first "Safety on Production Pilot Program."

Film and television workers, industry leaders and others have advocated for the program's expansion, citing a need to stop runaway productions, as well as to assist an industry that has faced challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, dual writers and actors strike, and current federal immigration policies.

The program has been "oversubscribed year after year," the governor's office added. Film and television projects were driven out-of-state, coaxed by investments elsewhere.

"This program isn't just about keeping cameras rolling — it's about sustaining careers, building opportunity and ensuring that the economic and cultural benefits of filmmaking stay right here in the Golden State," Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission, said in a statement.

Last week, Newsom signed the state's budget bill, which included the $750 million program expansion. He is expected to sign new legislation that is intended to modernize and further improve the program.

The California Film Commission will integrate the funding into upcoming application cycles scheduled for July 7-9 (television) and Aug. 25-27 (film). More information will be provided by the Film Commission in the coming days.

City News Service