SACRAMENTO – California Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that 22 new television projects have been approved for the California Film Commission's Film and Television Tax Credit program. This is the first round of tax credits since the Governor's historic expansion of the program in July, more than doubling the funding available for qualified film and television productions. Applications for this round have increased by nearly 400% compared to the previous round of tax credits for television projects.
California has long been the entertainment capital of the world – and the newly expanded Film and Television Tax Credit program will help maintain that status. This program means wages for middle-class workers, opportunities for small businesses, and investment in communities across the state. We must not only preserve our heritage, but also remind the world why the Golden State remains the heart of film and television.
Lionsgate's (AppleTV distribution company) Emmy-nominated series "The Studio" is one of the nearly two dozen projects announced today to receive funding.
These programs are expected to generate $1.1 billion in revenue across California, including $714 million in qualified expenditures and $413 million in qualified wages. The production of these shows will occupy over 1,100 days of filming in California, significantly boosting economies across the state.
“The Film and Television Tax Credit Program is addressing the challenges of creating jobs and retaining local production,” said Colleen Bell, Executive Director of the California Film Commission. “These 22 television projects will provide jobs to thousands of Californians and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the state’s economy. Most importantly, they will retain world-class talent and teams, ensuring California leads the future of storytelling.”
The CBS Studios series “NCIS: Origins” is one of nearly two dozen projects announced today to receive funding.
Boosting the State’s Creative Economy
The 22 series include five renewals, two productions relocating to California, and 15 new series, including one limited series and three pilots. These projects are expected to employ 6,500 cast and crew members, as well as 46,100 background actors (based on workdays). While the majority of filming will take place in Los Angeles, four of the projects will film at least partially outside of Los Angeles.
Highlights from the latest round of awards include:
New Pilots and Returning Series
A new Hulu series from Dan Fogelman, creator of "This Is Us" and "Paradise," from 20th Century Television
A new HBO series from Larry David
The Emmy-nominated second season of "The Studio" from Lionsgate (an AppleTV distribution) and "Presumed Innocent" from Warner Bros. Television (an Apple TV+ distribution)
Sony Pictures Television's "SWAT EXILES"
CBS Studios' "NCIS: Origins"
Kenya Barris' 20th TV pilot for Hulu, "Group Chat"
Relocation Series
Tom Segura's Netflix The series "Bad Ideas" will relocate from Texas to...
"I'm thrilled that we can finally film "Group Chat" in Los Angeles thanks to the California Film Commission's tax credit. As a Los Angeles native, I've been fortunate to have filmed so many projects here throughout my career and passion, and we'll be able to continue to shine a spotlight on our wonderful city, its people, and its culture. This tax credit not only allows us to work with the best crews and artisans, but more importantly, it allows us to create jobs and support the Los Angeles film community at a time when its importance is more important than ever." - Kenya Barris, creator, executive producer, and showrunner of "Group Chat"
"This bold program designed by the California Film Commission is brilliant, allowing us to keep film and television production in our preferred location: California. We're incredibly proud that California's diverse filming locations and unparalleled infrastructure provide us with everything we need for any project and pave the way for hundreds of jobs on each shoot. We're honored to be among the recipients of this program and are thrilled to begin production on the sequels to "Love Actually" and "Angel" in California this year." —Manny Harley, Producer and Executive Producer
See the full list of productions in the Film and Television Tax Credit Program here.
About the Film and Television Tax Credit Program
The Film and Television Tax Credit Program provides tax credits based on eligible expenditures to eligible California productions. Since its launch in 2009, the program has approved 807 projects, generating nearly $29 billion in economic activity.
To ensure the state's continued leadership in the global entertainment industry, the program recently implemented several improvements, including increasing the base tax credit rate to 35%, doubling the total grant to $750 million, expanding eligibility to include a wider and more diverse range of productions, and strengthening support for independent films to increase accessibility.
The program aims to reduce overproduction, support career development for essential workers, and expand job opportunities in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Additional incentives are available for projects filming outside of Los Angeles or relocating from out of state.
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