Steve Hilton, the Trump-endorsed frontrunner for California governor, just proposed removing the $750M cap on state film/TV tax incentives, creating an uncapped program similar to those in Georgia, Canada, and the UK, while expanding eligibility to above-the-line and post-production costs. The goal: up to 60% total rebates for productions shooting in California.
California’s current Program 4.0 already delivers a base 35% (or 40% for relocating series), reaching a maximum of 45% with uplifts. Hilton wants to strengthen that further and layer on a hoped-for new federal incentive (none exists at scale today, though a 15% federal jobs credit has been discussed in industry circles) to bridge the gap to 60%.
It’s an aggressive move to bring production and jobs back, but any major expansion still needs Sacramento’s approval through the budget and legislative process. Hilton previewed it after meetings with the Motion Picture Association and Hollywood labor unions — the industry broadly supports bigger incentives, even if including above-the-line remains controversial with unions.
Now it’s getting interesting!
