That $750 million California approved to get productions back to the Golden State is starting to pay off. 52 different film projects were selected to receive tax credits under California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.
Among the projects that will shoot here, a variety: a third “Jumanji” movie, Michael Mann’s “Heat 2,” the new film from the Daniels that just got dated for release in November 2027, a film titled “The Fifth Wheel” starring Kim Kardashian and directed by Eva Longoria for Netflix, and a new Blumhouse movie called “Sunday” based on the book.
On the indie side, there’s “Palm Springs” director Max Barbakow‘s new film “Epiphany” starring Bill Murray and Kristen Wiig, “The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones,” which stars Janelle Monáe and has Taika Waititi and Ishi Metkar with Waititi Productions as well as Monáe and Maresa Pullman with Wondaland Pictures producing, “A Tree Is Blue” produced by Dakota Johnson, and the Mila Kunis-produced film “Nightwatching.”
And there’s always a few hidden gems among these announcements, and of the 52 films, there’s also a new untitled Mike Mills movie, which would be the first movie he’s directed since 2021’s “C’mon C’mon,” and a comedy starring Jessica Williams and Jake Johnson that’s also untitled.
If and when all these projects do roll cameras, they are projected to bring $1.4 billion into the state’s economy and employ roughly 8,900 cast and crew along with 46,400 background performers as measured in days work over a total 1,664 filming days. The California Film Commission says this is double what the last round — before the tax credits were upped to $750 million — managed to generate.
“The film and television industry is the cornerstone of California’s creative economy — revitalizing the job opportunities, business growth and economic prosperity for families. These investments reaffirm that California isn’t just where stories are told, it’s where the future of storytelling is built,” Governor Newsom said in a statement.
“This round of awards demonstrates the outstanding scope of our program. We are welcoming projects from major franchises to independent films led by visionary artists,” said Colleen Bell, Director California Film Commission. “There’s real momentum building. With 52 new projects, we’re seeing storytelling thrive once again, creating thousands of jobs and supporting local businesses in communities across the state. California’s film industry is not just rebounding, it’s redefining what’s possible.”
FilmLA last week released data showing that production in Los Angeles specifically had again declined from last year, despite the changes to the tax incentive program, but FilmLA was projecting that it would see growth soon with exactly these sorts of projects on the way.
But we’ve also written that these tax credits are not a panacea, and some indie filmmakers still see issues with restrictions on the credits, like that it only covers below the line work, not the cast that can chew up big parts of your budget, and that there are no exemptions or special considerations for post-production work done in the state.
But at the very least, we’re getting a new Mike Mills film.