States have spent at least $25 billion to attract movie and TV filming. Texas and New York are increasing their subsidies, while Georgia and Louisiana are broadening their programs.
“Sinners,” about twin brothers who confront a supernatural evil through music, could have been shot in the Mississippi Delta where the story is set. Yet it was filmed in Louisiana, which has long lured Hollywood with tax incentives that the director Ryan Coogler said made the state an attractive choice.
The competition for business is fierce, with states awarding at least $25 billion in filming incentives over the past two decades. Because of California’s struggle to retain movie and TV productions, state lawmakers have approved more than doubling its annual tax credit program to $750 million.
Economists have called the subsidies a race to the bottom, but politicians have shown few signs of slowing down. Here is a roundup of how five other states are trying to attract productions from California.
TEXAS
Lawmakers approve $1.5 billion in spending over the next decade.
For the second consecutive legislative session, Texas lawmakers voted to substantially expand the state’s incentive program.
The biennial funding was below $100 million for two decades until lawmakers increased it to $200 million in 2023. This year, they overwhelmingly passed a bill that would increase the tax credits to $300 million every two years for the next decade, an additional investment of $1.5 billion.
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Source: Movies - nytimes.com
