Hollywood Production Shows Signs of Life After California Boosts Film Incentives

After hitting rock bottom last year, film and TV production in Los Angeles is finally ticking upward, thanks in part to California’s expanded subsidy program. New data from FilmLA shows shoot days rose about 10 percent in early 2026 compared to the final quarter of 2025. Features led the charge, logging a 52 percent year-over-year increase—nearly a quarter of those projects tapping into state tax credits.

But don’t pop the champagne just yet. Total shoot days for the first quarter—5,121—remain nearly 30 percent below the five-year average. If this pace holds, L.A. is on track for its second-worst filming year on record. The numbers reflect a decade-long slide that accelerated in 2023 after Hollywood’s dual strikes and studios slashed budgets to prop up streaming profits.

California’s revamped tax credit program, approved last year, has drawn a flood of applications. The first wave of incentivized projects is now rolling, accounting for 7 percent of all L.A. shoot days—22 percent of feature work and 17 percent of TV productions. Mayor Karen Bass declared, “Hollywood is finally turning a corner with more productions and more jobs.”

Still, the economics remain tough. Other regions offer bigger subsidies, including breaks for A-list talent, plus cheaper labor. That’s why many features have fled to the U.K., where crews earn less and studios skip health insurance costs. Yet features here jumped 20 percent above the five-year average, with 687 shoot days. Big titles like Searchlight’s “Behemoth!” and Netflix’s “One Attempt Remaining” are among those filming locally.

TV, once L.A.’s backbone, tells a grimmer story. Shoot days fell 28 percent quarter-over-quarter and are down more than 60 percent from the five-year average. Reality TV plunged 52 percent, as unscripted premieres have dropped a third since 2022, per Luminate research.

FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches urged caution: “It’s too early to make predictions, but the increase in key categories gives hope for a broader rise in production and points to the tax program’s growing impact on local jobs.”