On Friday, high-ranking executives from major film studios will have a meeting with Charles Rivkin, head of the Motion Pictures Association, to debate President Donald Trump’s unexpected plan to levy taxes on movies filmed outside the U.S., according to information obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Over the weekend, the movie business found itself in turmoil following Trump’s tweet on Sunday, stating his intention to restore Hollywood to its former glory and considering film production overseas as a potential threat to our country’s safety.
The following morning, I felt a slight sense of uncertainty as I woke up and read the White House’s statement, which indicated that no definitive decisions had been reached on the proposed tariffs.
To date, the Movie Production Association (MPA), the primary industry association for movie studios and their respective corporations, has not issued an official statement regarding Trump’s remarks.
The individuals invited for Friday’s call are Alan Bergman, Disney Entertainment’s co-chairman in charge of their film empire, Mike Hopkins from Amazon MGM Studios, Donna Langley who has been a longtime chair at Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios, Brian Robbins, co-CEO of Paramount Global, Tom Rothman from Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, Ted Sarandos, one of the co-CEOs at Netflix, and David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Many experts warn that certain tariffs, depending on their calculation, might severely impact the film and television industries. This is due to a significant portion of shows and movies being filmed abroad, taking advantage of more generous tax breaks and production incentives. Budgets for production could surge by 25% or more at a time when the industry is still struggling to bounce back from the pandemic and labor disputes. This increase in costs might lead to fewer films produced, which could put additional financial pressure on both domestic and international cinema chains.
As a dedicated supporter, I’ve been consistently pushing for enhanced production incentives within the U.S., advocating on behalf of my fellow studio members. Similarly, union leaders have taken up this cause as well.
There are still many questions about how tariffs would apply to digital services provided by American companies, especially movie streaming platforms, since movies are mostly delivered digitally these days instead of on physical films. It’s worth noting that U.S. films earned over $15 billion in trade surpluses as of 2023, indicating their significant influence at the box office in numerous international markets (with exceptions being China, Japan, and South Korea). To put it another way, Hollywood movies often lead the box office sales in a majority of global markets.
It seems Trump’s strategy may be influenced by a plan proposed by Jon Voight. In the event of his re-election, these three celebrities – Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone – were identified as Trump’s representatives in Hollywood. So far this week, neither Gibson nor Stallone has commented on tariffs. A source from THR mentioned that Stallone was surprised by this matter since he and Gibson have upcoming films that will be shot overseas.
News regarding this coming Friday’s meeting arrives as Disney gears up for its earnings discussion on next Tuesday. It’s highly likely that Disney CEO, Bob Iger, will face questions about President Trump’s proposed tariff plans during the call. Meanwhile, Paramount Global will reveal their earnings by Thursday.
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2025-05-07 07:54