LAs film decline needs urgent action or Hollywood is dead

The crisis in LA’s film industry is becoming more and more urgent.New figures released by FIlmLA last week show that film and television production in the second quarter of 2026 fell 13% from the same time period last year, despite generous tax incentives from the state and a promise of faster permits from the city.Worse, the pace of filming had fallen 8% since the first quarter of this year.Feature film production fell nearly 20%.These are crisis numbers.And the irony is that feature films are enjoying a commercial comeback.As film critic Johnny Olesinski notes, films are enjoying a rebound at the box office.

The immense success of “The Odyssey” is an obvious example, but that movie was always expected to be a winner. More surprising are the Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” which has brought in a billion dollars despite the late singer’s controversial past; and “Obsession,” which was made for less than a million dollars and has made nearly half a billion.So film production ought to be particularly active in LA.The fact that film production is going down is a sign of how badly LA is missing out on the boom.LA’s leaders, both in government and in the entertainment industry, need to take drastic action.Tax credits cleary aren’t cutting it.

And other cities and states can offer similar incentives, in what has become a “race to the bottom.”LA needs to provide a qualitatively better environment for filming.It’s hard to imagine a better environment than the one provided by Southern California’s natural beauty and abundant talent.But the business climate is terrible.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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