The $750 million that California approved to bring productions back to the Golden State is starting to pay off. 52 different film projects were selected to receive tax credits under the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.
Among the projects that will be shot here, a variety: a third “Jumanji” film, Michael Mann’s “Heat 2”, the new film from Daniels just released in November 2027, a film titled “The Fifth Wheel” starring Kim Kardashian and directed by Eva Longoria for Netflix, and a new Blumhouse film based on “Sunday” Netflix.
On the indie side there is “Palm Springs” director Max Barbakows new film “Epiphany” starring Bill Murray and Kristen Wiig, “The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones” produced by Taika Waititi and starring Janelle Monae, “A Tree Is Blue” produced by Dakota Johnson and the Mila Kunis-produced film “Nightwatching.”
And there are always some hidden gems among these announcements, and of the 52 films, there’s also a new untitled Mike Mills film, which would be his first film to direct since 2021’s “C’mon C’mon”, and a comedy starring Jessica Williams and Jake Johnson that is also untitled.
If and when all of these projects roll cameras, they are estimated to add $1.4 billion to the state’s economy and employ approximately 8,900 cast and crew along with 46,400 background artists measured in man-days for a total of 1,664 shooting days. The California Film Commission says this is double what the last round — before tax credits were raised to $750 million — managed to generate.
“The film and television industry is the cornerstone of California’s creative economy – revitalizing job opportunities, business growth and economic prosperity for families. These investments confirm that California is not only where stories are told, it’s where the future of stories is built,” Governor Newsom said in a statement.
“This round of awards demonstrates the extraordinary breadth of our program. We welcome projects from major franchises to independent films led by visionary artists,” said Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission. “There is real momentum. With 52 new projects, we’re seeing storytelling thrive again, creating thousands of jobs and supporting local businesses in communities across the state. California’s film industry isn’t just recovering, it’s redefining what’s possible.”
FilmLA last week released data that shows that Production in Los Angeles was again down from last yeardespite the changes to the tax incentive program, but FilmLA predicted it would see growth soon with exactly this type of project on the way.
But we have also written that these tax breaks are not a panacea, and some indie filmmakers still see problems with credit limitssuch as that it only covers below-the-limit work, not the actor that can chew up large chunks of your budget, and that there are no exceptions or special considerations for post-work done in the state.
But at least we’re getting another Mike Mills movie.
