Lights, camera, action! First year of California's expanded Film & TV Tax Credit projected to bring $6.6 billion in economic impact

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Jul 7, 2026

Lights, camera, action! First year of California's expanded Film & TV Tax Credit projected to bring $6.6 billion in economic impact

41 new projects awarded today, including DreamWorks Animation's "DONKEY," Disney's "Hexed," and "Gingerbread Men" from Artists Equity

What you need to know: Since Governor Newsom's historic expansion of the Film & TV Tax Credit program, the state has awarded 170 projects, including 41 new film projects announced today. Together, these projects are designed to bring $6.6 billion in economic activity and nearly 35,000 cast and crew jobs across California.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that the first year of California's expanded Film and Television Tax credit program is on track to deliver a record $6.6 billion in economic impact. With 41 projects awarded today, including DreamWorks "DONKEY," "Gingerbread Men" from Artists Equity, and Disney's "Hexed," productions are bringing thousands of good-paying jobs and direct investment to communities across California.

Following the Governor's recent visit to the set of Ang Lee's Gold Mountain, a Film & Television Tax Credit Program awardee, today's announcement demonstrates the economic impact across the Golden State.

California has long set the standard for entertainment production, creating good-paying jobs and showcasing the creativity and innovation that define the Golden State. The first year of the expanded tax credit program is already delivering results — generating billions in economic activity, creating opportunities for businesses and the workforce, and bringing more productions home to California.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Driving major economic impact

Across the full fiscal year (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026), the newly expanded Program 4.0 awarded 170 total projects that collectively represent:

• $6.6 billion in direct production spending in California
• $4.3 billion in qualified expenditures (inclusive of qualified wages)
• $2.58 billion in qualified wages
• 34,921 cast and crew jobs
• 212,065 background performers in days worked
• 6,630 total California filming days, including 1,351 out-of-zone filming days

"This round marks the close of the first year of Program 4.0 and reflects the strong demand we continue to see for production in California. With 41 new film projects approved across a wide range of budgets, we are seeing the program work exactly as intended – bringing production, jobs, and economic opportunity to communities throughout California," said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission. "From major studio features and independent films to animated projects, the diversity of productions choosing California speaks to the strength of our industry and the unmatched talent, infrastructure, and creative ecosystem that exist here. We look forward to building on this momentum in year two."

New films coming to the Golden State

The diverse slate of 41 projects in today's round of awards will deliver meaningful economic benefits for California, including:

• $1.1 billion in direct production spending in California
• $544 million in qualified spend (inclusive of qualified wages)
• $352 million in qualified wages
• 6,198 cast and crew jobs
• 13,153 background performers in days worked
• 993 total California shooting days, including 403 out-of-zone filming days

Animation heavyweights continue to commit to California building on the historic inclusion of animated feature films, this latest round welcomes two new DreamWorks Animation projects, including the highly anticipated DONKEY from the Shrek universe, as well as Disney's Hexed and a new Pixar feature. These projects are designed to generate $711 million in total California economic impact, including $145 million in qualified wages, employing over 1,900 cast and crew members and deepening the animation industry's roots in California.

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DONKEY film, Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

"The California Film Commission's tax credit is a game changer, allowing DreamWorks Animation to keep production on two of our most valuable franchises in California," said Randy Lake, Chief Operating Officer at DreamWorks Animation. "We are deeply grateful for this meaningful support, which reinforces our commitment to producing world-class animation in our home state."

"For over a hundred years, California has been home to not only The Walt Disney Company but also an incredibly talented community of filmmakers, artists, and production professionals," said Alan Bergman, Chairman, Disney Entertainment Studios, The Walt Disney Company. "We are happy to have a number of projects selected for the state's Film & Television Tax Credit Program and are grateful to the California Film Commission, Governor Newsom, and the legislative leaders who have worked to strengthen opportunities for production here as we continue to invest in California's world-class creative workforce."

Independent films continue to play a critical role in productions

The 41 projects approved in this round comprise 35 independent productions, including five above $10 million in budget and 30 under $10 million in budget, reflecting the program's continued commitment to supporting diverse voices and emerging filmmakers alongside major studio productions.

"We received the approval letter informing us that Gingerbread Men was accepted into the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program," said Academy Award Winner Ben Affleck, Director and Producer. "Under the program, we have been able to make the films Argo, Unstoppable, and Accountant 2. Our upcoming film, Gingerbread Men, will be filmed in Los Angeles, California – close to our company office and the best and most experienced cast and crew, vendors, and service providers. Let's continue to keep the California film industry alive with the help of the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program!"

California continues to rebuild production momentum

This latest round of awards caps off a transformative first year of the revamped program, as it continues to strengthen California's production landscape, with applications growing by 82% compared to the previous year.

In the T.V. category, 20 new series and six pilots received tax credits during the first year of Program 4.0 – by comparison, only eight new series received tax credits during the last year of Program 3.0. Notable TV projects from the past year include:

• Fallout (Season 3)
• Forever (Season 2)
• Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness
• NCIS: Origins (Season 3)
• The Pitt (Season 3)
• Presumed Innocent (Season 2)
• The Studio (Season 2)

The Pitt, Courtesy of Warrick Page / HBO Max

These productions reflect the growing momentum for filming activity in the Golden State. TV drama shoot days saw a substantial increase in the first quarter of 2026 – up more than 40% over the previous quarter and more than 7% year over year. Over the past year, tax credit projects have also dominated awards season, taking home Best Picture wins at the Oscars for One Battle After Another and Best Drama TV series at both the Emmys and Golden Globes for The Pitt.

More recently, this momentum saw the California Film Commission being named Film Commission of the Year – State, Province and National at the 2026 Screen International Global Production Awards.

The film category within the program also experienced a significant uptick in demand. In the first quarter of this year alone, feature film shoot days increased more than 45% over the previous quarter and more than 52% year over year.

Awarded film projects include:

• Gold Mountain
• Heat 2
• Untitled Jumanji installment
• A Snoop Dogg biopic
• Additional projects from A24, Artists Equity, Blumhouse, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal

Snoop Dogg, Producer, Courtesy by Untitled Snoop Dogg Project.

The expansion of eligibility to include animation and large‑scale competition shows drew interest from President Curtis (an Adult Swim spin‑off), The Simpsons Movie 2 from 20th Century Studios, Stewie from 20th Television Animation, and new titles from DreamWorks Animation. Schooled! from Jimmy Kimmel and Mark Rober will be the first large‑scale competition series supported by the program.

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Additionally, several series are relocating production to California, including Baywatch (Season 12), The Night Agent (Season 4), and Tracker – the hit drama from Disney Entertainment Television starring Justin Hartley, which is moving from Vancouver for its fourth season.

"Due to the enhanced California tax credit, Disney Entertainment Television decided to relocate its series 'Tracker' to Los Angeles for its fourth season. And I was the lucky Location Manager who got the call," said Supervising Location Manager Veronique Vowell. "Due to the incentive, 10 other location professionals and I are back at work. Not only are we working, but all the small vendors we use for everything from tents and potties to security, layout boards, traffic plans, and air conditioning are also working. We feel very fortunate as we know that many of our comrades in arms are still unemployed. Keep the California Tax Credit Program going; it creates jobs."

Since its inception in 2009, California's Film & Television Tax Credit Program has generated over $34.2 billion in economic activity and supported more than 243,000 cast and crew jobs across the state. In years past, for every $1.00 of tax credit awarded, California has seen massive returns: $24.40 in economic output, $16.14 in GDP, and $8.60 in wages. The expanded program, now one of the largest capped film incentives in the nation, maintains California's competitive edge in the creative economy while continuing to prioritize workforce diversity provisions, more funding for the Career Pathways Training Program, and the nation's first Safety on Production Pilot Program.

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