A historic expansion of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program

Doubling down on California’s creative economy

Since 2009, the tax credit has generated over $27 billion in economic activity and supported more than 209,000 well-paying jobs with health and pension benefits by awarding nearly  850 projects. In years past, for every dollar 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.

“This expansion is about California’s long game—supporting a dynamic industry that fuels our creative economy and reflects who we are,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to the Governor & Director of GO-Biz. “By doubling down on this commitment, we’re ensuring California remains the premier place to work, create, and tell stories that reach across the world.”

Why this expansion matters

Critically, this historic investment in the entertainment industry is projected to increase the number of film jobs supported by the program by approximately fifty percent.

This program has been oversubscribed year after year, with more productions applying than can be accommodated under the current cap. And in recent years, projects that were unable to secure California’s tax credits and were forced to move to other locations contributed to significant economic losses for California, with an estimated 69% of rejected projects subsequently filming out-of-state.

Through the expansion of this program, local economies will now be able to keep these creative jobs and livelihoods here in California, all while investing in the future of the industry.

“This expansion is a powerful investment in California’s future, strengthening the state’s position as the global leader in content creation, fueling job growth and supporting thousands of small businesses that rely on a thriving production industry,” said Colleen Bell, Director of the California Film Commission. “This program isn’t just about keeping cameras rolling — it’s about sustaining careers, building opportunity and ensuring that the economic and cultural benefits of filmmaking stay right here in the Golden State.”

16 new projects to film in California

These new projects, which have been approved across the program’s last three television application windows, include nine renewals, two pilots, four new shows and one relocating show.

Altogether, these 16 projects are expected to hire 6,664 cast and crew members, as well as 59,000 background performers (measured in days worked), across 1,308 total California filming days. Highlights from the projects include:

• Nine returning TV series, including HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” Hulu’s hit “Paradise,” and CBS’s “NCIS: Origins”

• Two shows that will film outside of the Los Angeles area for a total of 23 filming days

• One relocating series – Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

“We are thrilled that we are going to be able to continue shooting our second season of Paradise in Los Angeles, thanks in no small part to California’s film and TV tax credit,” said “Paradise” Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner Dan Fogelman and Star/Executive Sterling K. Brown. “We’ve been lucky enough to shoot in Los Angeles for the majority of our careers – it is home to the best crews in the world and allowing series to shoot (and remain) in L.A. provides consistent work for countless craftspeople, allowing us all to remain in town with our families and loved ones.”

See the full list of productions that are part of the Film and Television Tax Credit Program here.

What comes next

While last week’s state budget bill delivered the $750 million expansion, the Governor is expected to soon sign additional legislation to modernize and further improve the program.

In the meantime, these tax credits have become refundable for all projects for the first time since the program’s inception in 2009, beginning with Program 4.0 which officially commenced yesterday, July 1.

The California Film Commission will integrate the expanded funding and refundable credit mechanism into its immediately upcoming application cycles, which are scheduled for July 7–9, 2025 (television) and August 25–27, 2025 (film). Updated guidelines and resources will be provided by the Film Commission in the coming days.

bringing it home