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A new \u201cJumanji\u201d movie is among 52 film projects that were awarded production incentives for shooting in the Golden State, the California Film Commission said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Together, the film projects are expected to employ about 8,900 cast and crew members, as well as more than 46,000 background actors, the commission said. In total, the films were allocated about $334 million in tax credits and are estimated to generate $1.4 billion of economic activity in California, according to the commission.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe film and television industry is the cornerstone of California\u2019s creative economy \u2014 revitalizing the job opportunities, business growth and economic prosperity for families,\u201d Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u201cThese investments reaffirm that California isn\u2019t just where stories are told, it\u2019s where the future of storytelling is built.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the \u201cJumanji\u201d film, nine studio and non-independent film projects were chosen, including Michael Mann\u2019s \u201cHeat 2,\u201d Netflix\u2019s \u201cThe Fifth Wheel\u201d and an untitled project from Daniels, the producers of \u201cEverything Everywhere All at Once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are delighted to be able to bring a large, old school, big screen movie to shoot in California, thanks to the newly expanded California tax credit,\u201d Tom Rothman, chairman and chief executive of Sony Pictures\u2019 Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. \u201cThe resultant work will bring jobs and revenue into the state at a much needed time and will help the filmmakers make the very best film possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forty-two independent film projects were awarded tax credits, including \u201cEpiphany\u201d starring Bill Murray and Kristen Wiig and the Taika Waititi-produced \u201cThe Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones,\u201d which stars Janelle Mon\u00e1e.<\/p>\n
The 52 film projects are the first movies to receive tax credits since the state bolstered its production incentive program this summer<\/a>. <\/p>\n Citing the effects of so-called runaway production, the 2023 dual writers\u2019 and actors\u2019 strikes and the Southern California wildfires earlier this year, a coalition of Hollywood studios, unions and small businesses lobbied the California legislature to more than double the annual amount allocated to the program and expand the eligibility criteria.<\/p>\n