California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, backed by President Trump, joined Thursday in a call for unlimited state aid for film and television production.
Joined by Gloria Romero, who is running for lieutenant governor, Hilton unveiled his proposal outside the shuttered Cinerama Dome, a symbol of Hollywood decline.
“This is an emergency,” Hilton said, noting that the industry has suffered “benign neglect” during California’s 16 years of Democratic rule. “We’re letting it disappear because other states in America and other countries are competing fiercely for the jobs and jobs that come with it.”
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are also calling for the $750 million cap on state aid to be lifted. Like them, Hilton did not provide an estimate of how much it would cost.
“It depends on how successful we are,” he said, noting that although there will be initial costs, increased incentives will also generate economic benefits. “We want to reduce spending, which means we can reduce taxes. This is a type of tax cut.”
Tom Steyer, one of the leading Democratic candidates, has also proposed raising the $750 million cap, but not eliminating it completely. In response to Hilton’s plans, a spokesperson for Mr. Steyer stressed that he also strongly opposes the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which is expected to result in thousands of job losses in the industry.
“Tom is the only candidate who will stand up to corporate monopolies and protect working people,” a spokesperson said. “Trump supporter Steve Hilton will rubber stamp mega-mergers like Warner Bros. and Paramount being pushed by MAGA billionaires.”
In an interview, Hilton was positive about his relationship with the White House, saying he would seek federal incentives for film production in addition to state grants. He said he would like to see California and federal rebates combined for a total of 60%. He met with the Motion Picture Association of America, Hollywood unions and President Trump’s special ambassador for Hollywood, Jon Voight.
“John’s actually a friend of mine,” he said. “He endorsed me on the first day of campaigning. The president endorsed me. You know, we’re a team.”
Hilton also wants California’s incentives (currently set at 35% to 40% of below-line costs) to include above-line salaries for actors, directors, screenwriters, and producers.
Among major manufacturing centers, Georgia is the only state with no cap on tax credits. It covers 30% of above-the-line and below-the-line costs, reaching $1.3 billion in 2022, but has since fallen by about half due to the industry-wide downturn. California’s industry is larger than Georgia’s, with about eight to 10 times the production workforce, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
“We want it to be high enough to get attention,” Hilton said. “This is a question of action. What do we need to do to get people to — urgently — reconsider producing in California and Hollywood?”
Hilton is leading among Republicans in polls and is a strong favorite to advance to the November runoff.
