Following the 2023 Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes along with the financial strain that ensued, a ripple effect was felt not just across Los Angeles but also up north in Canada – particularly Ontario and British Columbia. The usual influx of location shoots decreased significantly. In fact, these strikes led to a 26% decrease in production spending in 2024 compared to 2023, resulting in empty soundstages and idle production crews.
Anticipation for a swift comeback soared when the labor dispute was resolved towards the end of 2023 and Hollywood resumed production. Despite L.A.’s ongoing difficulties to regain its footing, the filming industry in Canada is experiencing another surge, indicating a rapid recovery that many didn’t foresee.
Although there’s a lot of uncertainty, things appear to be running smoothly right now, according to Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of Ontario Creates,” she notes, who promotes the province to international producers. “Our production levels are high, and we’ve seen a strong rebound. We’re feeling optimistic.
The pragmatic approach leading U.S. manufacturing towards Canada is being driven by attractive tax incentives and a consistently depreciating Canadian currency compared to the U.S. dollar, which translates into significant cost savings for American producers. If President Donald Trump implements his proposed tariffs, the Canadian dollar might decrease even more, potentially resulting in even greater savings.
Experts suggest that the current wildfires in Los Angeles won’t affect nearby filming locations in Canada right away, despite the fact that they’ve almost completely halted production in Hollywood for about two weeks.
Thorne-Stone expresses sympathy over the unfortunate events in L.A., stating that everyone is watching with heavy hearts, hoping the situation won’t have lasting effects on the industry. At present, they haven’t observed any immediate impact of this incident on their production levels. They clarify that the scouting and production processes were already underway before the fires.
Currently, Canada’s film industry is concentrating on its self-recovery following recent events. Several provinces are now stepping out of Ontario’s shadow, as it has traditionally been home to many high-profile productions due to its extensive production facilities and skilled workforce in cities like Toronto.
To illustrate, Manitoba has experienced a surge of cinematic activity. Notably, Marc Provissiero, a partner at Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, has produced three films in Manitoba over the past few years starring Bob Odenkirk from Better Call Saul. These include the 2021 indie film Nobody, which was a box office surprise for Universal Pictures and grossed over $57 million worldwide, as well as the sequel to Nobody and the suspenseful movie Normal.
Provissiero hesitates to openly express his feelings about working with film crews from Manitoba.
Provissiero admits he’s hesitant to reveal more about it because once people find out, they’ll all flock there,” he said. “They’re absolutely amazing and we adore them.
In the initial conversation, Braden Aftergood proposed the idea of Winnipeg to Provissiero, highlighting its resemblance to Middle America and the Rust Belt for the movie “Nobody,” where Odenkirk played an ordinary family man who hid a thrilling past as a professional assassin.
According to Provissiero, Winnipeg was not a place people were thinking about. Once we had pictures of the location, it looked like it could stand in for a steel town in Ohio or Pennsylvania. This proved beneficial for our purposes.
Speaking about this, Lynne Skromeda, who serves as both CEO and film commissioner at Manitoba Film and Music, notes that there’s a resurgence of activity. We’re definitely receiving queries from various parts of Canada and the United States. It seems people are taking notice of what’s unfolding in Manitoba.
Provissiero undeniably profited from Manitoba’s 45% film tax credit, boosting it to 65% with bonuses. These Canadian tax credits and financial supports are crucial for both independent filmmakers and studios in the local industry. However, even these subsidies and incentives have their limits when dealing with industry shrinkage. For example, Canada’s animation sector reached a peak of 10 years in 2023, but fell by a staggering 55% the following year due to the big streaming platforms cutting back on children’s series acquisitions. Nevertheless, Toronto remains an active center for Canadian animation, generating successful shows such as Unicorn Academy, produced by Spin Master Entertainment and recently renewed for a second season on Netflix.
Across various places, the 40% tax credit and distinctive locations in Newfoundland and Labrador have led to a surge of filming locations for shows such as the family police drama “Hudson & Rex” for UPtv and The CW’s “Son of a Critch.” Apple TV+’s “Severance” filmed an episode for its second season in locations along the Bonavista Peninsula, while Amazon’s “Reacher,” predominantly shot in Ontario, temporarily moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland, standing in as Portland, Maine during the summer months.
Laura Churchill, CEO of PictureNL and film commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador, shares that buzz is growing about this vibrant destination ideal for many productive endeavors,” she says, noting that it’s conveniently located just a five-hour flight from the U.K.
British Columbia, known as a significant production hub due to its proximity to Los Angeles, is seeing an increase in phone calls and information requests about location packages and scouting – from December up until January. As stated by the B.C. film commissioner Marnie Gee, “Our team has been extremely busy.
In response to the growing demand, Bridge Studios – known for operating the initial dedicated studio venue in Vancouver – plans to launch 20 additional soundstages across an 18-acre area at their Lake City Studios location this summer. Notably, this state-of-the-art studio is designed with environmental considerations in mind and takes pride in being completely independent of fossil fuels.
Undeniably, environmental impact is a persistent issue for film and TV production sites in Canada, particularly echoing in British Columbia as the Los Angeles fires have. Being the westernmost province, it shares similar landscapes of forests and rivers that are prone to wildfires, some of which have devastated entire rural areas.
Prem Gill, CEO of Creative B.C., expresses sympathy towards California, saying, ‘Our thoughts are with you.’ We’ve contacted the California Film Commission to explore ways we might assist, as the film industry here in British Columbia is keen on helping out. It’s truly heartbreaking to see our colleagues in California going through such hard times.
Gill emphasizes that the risks associated with climate change are not ignored by the manufacturing and filming teams in the province. “It’s a tangible issue,” she notes, “and we’ve unfortunately seen local communities in British Columbia affected by these changes for quite some time.
She highlights initiatives taken by the local film industry to advocate for environmental sustainability. For instance, they are abandoning diesel generators on film sets and locations in favor of clean-energy electricity kiosks that are growing in number.
In Ontario, initiatives aimed at decreasing greenhouse gas emissions involve granting filmmakers access to clean electricity from the grid at various locations throughout the province, as well as relying more on portable electric generators rather than diesel ones.
The robust production pipeline for major studio series in Ontario is emphasized by Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” completing its final season filming in Toronto, with many of the show’s creative team and cast moving straight on to the sequel, “Testaments,” which will be filmed in Toronto from March to August.
However, although Canada’s unexpectedly swift rebound following the setback of the strikes is acknowledged, it’s clear that obstacles persist. The intensely competitive landscape of the film industry has grown increasingly congested, as nations worldwide are ramping up incentives and tax reductions to attract high-earning Hollywood productions to their territories.
In terms of tough competition, both the U.K. and Eastern Europe pose significant challenges. However, Canadian industry participants remain optimistic that established movie studios and streaming platforms will ultimately favor the well-established film industry of Canada over the long haul.
According to Victoria Harding, the executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada, Ontario, “Given our existing resources – both people and facilities – we are confident that we’ll ultimately succeed.
The article you’re reading was published in the February 5th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Consider subscribing to stay updated.
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2025-02-06 21:26