To revitalize the Hollywood industry and create job opportunities, the California government has launched a film and TV tax credit incentive program. Attracted by this policy, the classic TV series *Baywatch* has announced its major return to California after a 27-year absence.
According to NBC News, *Baywatch* was filmed in California from 1989 to 1999 before moving to Hawaii for two additional seasons. Now, drawn by California's Film and TV Tax Credit Program, the series is returning to California after 27 years. The new version of *Baywatch* is expected to film for 95 days with a total budget of $52.6 million and will receive $21 million in tax credits. The production will hire 12 actors and 181 crew members, making it one of the 17 TV series benefiting from the program.
In an effort to rescue the struggling Hollywood industry, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced last November that tax credits would be provided to 28 films. These include a biopic of rapper Snoop Dogg, a Western film by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, and a sequel to *Heat*, with the aim of increasing employment opportunities for film professionals.
In addition to *Baywatch*'s return to the small screen, Snoop Dogg's biopic is also planned to film for 50 days. With a budget of $48.3 million, it will receive $17 million in tax deductions and is expected to employ 84 actors and 190 crew members. Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission, which administers the tax credit program, emphasized that authorities must sound the alarm and take bold, urgent measures to ensure that crew members, electricians, costume designers, and other workers can return to stable employment by 2026.
The Hollywood film and television industry has suffered severe setbacks in recent years: the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by the actors' and writers' strikes in 2023, the massive Los Angeles wildfires in 2025, and the bursting of the streaming bubble, all of which have led to industry contraction. Statistics show that approximately 40,000 jobs were lost in 2024, a decline of 28%. Data from the non-profit organization FilmLA indicates that in 2025, the total number of production days for movies, TV shows, and commercials was the second lowest in Hollywood history, surpassed only by 2020.
You must be logged in to post a comment.