Two additional TV series will relocate to California thanks to the state’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program. The Amazon Prime war crime drama Hunters and the Disney+ historical drama The Right Stuff will move to California for their second season of production. With these latest wins, California’s tax credit program has welcomed a total of 22 relocating TV series from other states and nations. Topping the list are six series (including Hunters) that have relocated from New York, and four series that have relocated from British Columbia. In addition to The Right Stuff, one other series (Ballers) has relocated from Florida.
For their first season in California, Hunters and The Right Stuff are on track to generate a combined $125 million in below-the-line wages and other qualified expenditures. Like all film and TV tax credit projects, their overall spending will be significantly greater with the inclusion of above-the-line wages and other expenditures that do not qualify for incentives under California’s very targeted tax credit program.
“It’s great to emerge from the pandemic shutdown with news that two more successful TV series are relocating to California,” said Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission. “Such projects are a primary target for our tax credit program because they bring high-quality jobs and significant in-state spending.”
Based on information provided with their tax credit applications, Hunters and The Right Stuff will employ an estimated 440 cast members, 374 crew members and 6,056 background actors/stand ins (the latter measured in “man days”) over a combined 195 filming days in California. They will also generate significant postproduction jobs and revenue for the state’s VFX artists, sound editors, sound mixers, musicians and other workers/vendors as part of their eight-episode seasons.
All 88 planned filming days for The Right Stuff are set to occur in the San Diego area. Such production helps fulfill the tax credit program’s goal of bringing jobs and spending to regions beyond the Los Angeles 30-Mile Studio Zone.
“We’re thrilled to see this round of tax credits generate so much out-of-zone filming because it brings direct economic benefit to regions across the state,” Bell added.
Based on their qualified spending and out-of-zone production, Hunters and The Right Stuff will receive reservations for an estimated $32.5 million in tax credit allocation.
The application period for TV projects was held September 29–October 7. Due to the tax credit program’s success with ongoing TV projects, the allocation round was open only to newly relocating series and recurring series accepted during previous rounds. The current list of projects eligible for tax credits is subject to change, as projects may withdraw and their reservation of tax credits is reassigned or rolled over into the pool of funds for the next TV allocation period.
The state’s next tax credit application period for TV projects will take place March 15–22, 2021. The next application period for feature films will be January 25–February 1, 2021.
