‘The Pitt’ and a kids’ science show from Jimmy Kimmel receive film tax credits

by

Despite a recent dip in filming within California, the state’s increased tax incentives for the film industry could help strengthen the local economy.

As a film buff, I was interested to hear which productions are getting a boost from California tax credits. The California Film Commission announced Wednesday that 16 shows will benefit, and the list is pretty diverse! It includes a medical drama called “The Pitt,” a spin-off of “Family Guy,” and even a science competition show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. It’s great to see the state supporting such a range of projects.

These projects will bring in $871 million in spending within California and are predicted to create $1.3 billion in economic impact statewide. The 16 shows will employ over 4,500 people as cast and crew, plus an additional 50,000 background actors, according to the film commission.

Business

For Subscribers

Independent studios scramble to stay afloat as film and TV production lags

Independent film and TV studios in Los Angeles are facing hard times due to a significant drop in production.

This year’s awardees include animated shows and competitions, which were recently added to the film and television tax credit program after it was updated last year. The program allows producers to get back up to 25% of their qualified production costs as a credit against their state taxes.

Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized that California’s creative industries are essential to the state’s identity and economic growth. He highlighted that jobs in film, television, and design not only provide livelihoods but also support local communities.

HBO Max’s show “The Pitt” received $24.2 million in funding, while a spin-off of Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy,” called “Stewie,” received $6.4 million. Jimmy Kimmel’s competition show, “Schooled!,” where young scientists compete with their experiments, was awarded $6.9 million.

After the state increased its film and TV incentive program last year, over 100 projects have qualified for tax breaks.

While those popular shows are finally starting to encourage more local filmmaking, the industry has been struggling since the pandemic. This slump was made worse by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year and recent budget cuts at major studios.

That lag has affected the business of local soundstages.

New data from FilmLA, a local production tracking organization, shows that Los Angeles County soundstages were, on average, 62% occupied in the first half of 2025. This is a small decrease from the 63% average occupancy rate seen in 2024.

According to data from FilmLA, these numbers represent a considerable drop from the 90% average occupancy rate experienced between 2016 and 2022.

This has been difficult for local soundstage owners, who invested heavily in building new facilities or buying existing ones, only to experience a slowdown in film and television production.

Earlier this year, Hackman Capital Partners announced it was selling the historic Radford Studio Center in Studio City to Goldman Sachs.

Read More

2026-03-18 18:31