Donald Trump is wasting no time shaking things up ahead of his presidency and inauguration on Monday. In a big announcement, Trump has appointed Hollywood legends Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as Special Ambassadors to tackle the challenges facing Tinseltown. The trio will serve as Trump’s eyes and ears in Hollywood, with the mission of reviving the struggling entertainment industry and ushering in a new Golden Age.
What did Donald Trump say?
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said the following on Thursday:
It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California. They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE! These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!
What does Trump mean?
When Trump says that Hollywood “has lost much business over the last four years to foreign countries,” he is likely referring to the trend of U.S. film and television productions relocating abroad due to tax breaks that attract Hollywood projects.
This movement, often termed “runaway production,” occurs when projects are filmed outside the country. Factors contributing to this shift include attractive tax incentives, lower production costs, and the availability of skilled labor in other nations.
What are examples?
For instance, countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada have successfully attracted major productions by offering substantial financial incentives.
In the UK, tax breaks have drawn Disney to film all its Star Wars movies there, Marvel to shoot its next Avengers movies, Fantastic Four was recently filmed in the UK, and Warner Bros. filmed The Batman in the UK. Amazon also filmed Rings of Power, the most expensive TV show in history, in the UK and New Zealand.
Movies filmed or filming in Australia include Thor: Ragnarok, Voltron, Elvis, and the last two Godzilla movies.
Canada, particularly Vancouver, is well-known for TV productions, including The CW’s DC series, while Toronto is recognized for hosting productions like The Boys, one of the most popular shows on Amazon Prime Video.
According to what Trump says above, he wants to bring back American TV and film productions to the U.S.
