'Kick to the gut': Expert warns Trump could devastate film industry

President Donald Trump teased the idea of increased tariffs on Hollywood films made in other countries, claiming there would be a 100% tariff on such movies.

Deadline executive editor Dominic Patten told MSNBC called the idea "crazy."

"I don't think Hollywood is happy at all," he told host Katie Tur. "I mean, you know, we haven't had much of an official statement, but people I spoke to last night when this broke said to me, very clearly, this is crazy. We don't know what to do. We're trying to figure out what he wants. This will be a potentially devastating blow to an industry that, as you mentioned, has just barely got up off its knees in the past few months with success of things like 'Minecraft' and 'Sinners.'"

Patten explained that the film industry in southern California has seen one disaster after another. The 2020 pandemic meant closed movie theaters and closed sets for film and television. In 2023, there were strikes for writers and SAG-AFTRA. Then, there were the 2024 fires across Los Angeles.

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There hasn't been a final decision, Patten said, but that for "all of the chaos in the Trump White House," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said of the tariff on films: "We're on it."

"So, this is something that is clearly brewing here," Patten continued. "I would say, too, when Trump's talking about his deep research, whatever that means, I would also say one thing that we pointed out last week in Deadline, we broke exclusively. I hope some of you remember that in the early parts of the return to his office, Trump appointed Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone his special ambassadors to Hollywood. Whatever that meant. Nobody knew. But now we know that Jon Voight, at least, the Oscar-nominated actor, has been talking to the unions and executives, and there was some discussion about what that could be."

He said that it could be about tax incentives or some federal measure similar to those passed in states like California, New York, Georgia and others that try to encourage films to be made in their states with tax credits. Film Local reported there are at least 18 states that offer tax incentives.

"Now we're getting a sense of what this is," said Patten. "Look, if Donald Trump wants to reenact the worst characterizations of Jimmy Carter with his malaise and less is more — let's also be honest. And maybe the Democrats will kick back and call this for what it is. This is going to be a tax. Higher movie ticket prices, less movies, smaller budgets. It's going to be a kick to the gut."

See his comments below or at the link here.

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