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Posted on 05/05/2025 12:48:12 PM PDT by sphinx
“This makes no sense,” a U.K. producer railed. “It implies that a U.S. film is meant to shoot in the U.S. But the ‘Harry Potter’ films, ‘Lord Of The Rings,’ ‘Schindler’s List,’ ‘Mission Impossible,’ ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Avatar’ and so many more are U.S films that shot overseas for obvious reasons. Do these films have to shoot in the U.S. from now on? It’s an absurd announcement with no meaning nor understanding of storytelling or creative impulses....”
Echoes another London-based producer: “If this goes the distance, it will decimate the industry. But you can’t just stop production,” he said. “When does it come into effect? What about movies in pre-production, that are shooting or in post? Would you just double their costs. None of this has been thought through. So I think the calm response is: Let’s see what this means, let’s see the fine print.”
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
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Obviously this story is comprised of first reactions from people in the industry, who were all blindsided by the announcement. None of them know what it means. The devil is in the details, and (as usual) the initial announcement is 99 percent bloviation and posturing, with the details to be worked out later.
Note, however, that these are people in the bidness, with projects in development right now. They have to make timely decisions about what, when and where to shoot. The big studios have multiple projects in advanced stages of development, and these probably involve shooting locations not only in the U.S. and Europe, but in Africa, likely Asia, perhaps Australia and South America as well. Many of these will be partnerships with foreign companies and will involve a lot of foreign actors, directors, and funding sources.
The lead time on a major movie or tv show is two years and usually more. I'm aware of a couple of small indie films that were written and shot within a much tighter window; Montana Story, one of the best of the covid movies, is my current go-to example (and is an excellent movie with very conservative themes buried in the subtext). But that was as indie as indie can get, with a writer-director team of two who probably check under the couch cushions to find the money -- and who have produced some very good films, proving it can be done. But for big productions and big studios, it's a couple of years at least, and they've got their rollout schedules roughed out several years in advance.
So what are these people supposed to do now? Shut everything down until Trump's twitter barrage tapers off? Lining up locations, production facilities and casts that can block the necessary time -- often 4-5 months or more -- is a Chinese fire drill. They have to know what the rules are, and they need to be able to count on the rules being predictable for a couple of years. Lead time is the key.
So: shoot everything in the U.S.? That means abandoning all location shooting, which has been basic to the industry since the early days. Heck, no problem; we'll just walk away from castles and stately homes and iconic cityscapes, cathedrals and palaces and shoot everything in front of greenscreens on soundstages in California or Georgia or wherever? Well ... no, that ain't gonna work. J.K. Rowling isn't going to sign off on shooting the Harry Potter series on a Hollywood backlot.
The article is worth a read. Note one European exec who, when he got done sputtering, pointed out that U.S. productions constitute 60 percent!!!! of the content currently consumed in Europe. The U.S. dominates this industry, but when U.S. exports dominate the market, why blow it up?
The legitimate core issue is foreign production tax credits that are essentially bribes to U.S. studios to shift production abroad. But before declaring war over that, recognize that the substantial majority of U.S. states also offer production tax credits, some as rich as those offered in Europe. What is the rationale for nuking Ireland, the U.K. or Hungary for doing what California, New York, Georgia and a couple of dozen other states are already doing? Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander. I'm not familiar with this publication and can't speak to the accuracy or currency of what is reported here for September 30, 2024, but I found this enlightening: Film Industry Tax Incentives: State-by-State
Movie list ping
Does it count as a foreign film to be taxed if the film is entirely AI (not out of the question for the near future) and done by someone sitting on a computer in LA, but the server doing the processing is overseas?
I love that Trump jams a stick in the spokes of the hollytard’s bikes! LOL
For folks who want excellent analysis, check out YouTube channel WDW Pro. They got into this in a vid from this morning, will be do8ng another show tonight.
What Trump is doing is freaking brilliant.
As long as this prevents a reshoot of The English Patient, I’m all for it.
Disney Commits $5 Billion to U.K. and European Production Over Next Five Years
I am sooooo good with anything and everything that has the UK's Deep State excreting bricks.
Disney and institutional owners, too...
thx
Everything is made overseas because it’s cheaper to make heck look at all the programs on hdtv it’s all made in Canada you can bet those who work behind the scenes on tv shows and other things who have been out of work for months on end will be thrilled about this
Trump needs a few Hollywood stars(lefties) to come out and support the idea. Divide and conquer. Would DiNiro be one of them?
Let President Trump zero it out.
Up hollywood’s. Sideways. Repeatedly. Good and Hard.
You blow it up because the films aren’t shot here with our citizens benefitting from the work.
This policy makes sense.
Hollywood stars is an oxymoron these days.
Part and parcel of Hollyweird’s problem.
Even the mere mention of this movie caused me to... to... fall... asl.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ...
It makes sense on so many levels.
It’s freaking brilliant.
>> The movie “industry” is an open sewer full of turds and grogans
bobbing in the odoriferous slurry of sludge and urine.
You certainly do have a way with words, guv! 🤣
>> Would DiNiro be one of them?
😂 Stop it. Yer killin’ me.
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