American film production has just recovered
According to a report from ProdPro, US film and television production in 2024 has shown signs of recovery after a period of stagnation in 2023, due to prolonged strikes by scriptwriters, actors and industry staff, but still slower than the filming volume in 2022.
Statistics from large US-based companies show that the number of US dramas has increased from 397 to 494. But this number could not reach the "TV peak" period a few years ago, often witnessing about 600-650 series of films produced each year.
Film output has returned to the same level as 2 years ago, with 679 works produced in 2024.
The US remains the leader in production spending, with $14.54 billion spent on films originating from US companies.
However, although film production is gradually recovering, Hollywood is facing another concern, including the trend of film cooperation and production abroad.
Foreign film production trend
In a survey by prodPro, when executives of the production and post-production segments were asked about their favorite filming locations for the 2025-2026 period, none of the US were in the Top 5.
Instead, Toronto, the UK, Vancouver, Central Europe and Australia are leading. California is only 6th, Georgia 7th, New Jersey 8th and New York 9th.
The directors also noted that although film production is expected to increase in 2025, investment budgets have not increased. They have many measures to control costs, in which the top priority is tax incentives.
According to FilmLA, film and television production activities in Los Angeles have fallen nearly 40% over the past decade. Many governments around the world have introduced more generous tax credits and refunds to attract production.
In the coming time, many Hollywood blockbusters filmed abroad will be released. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning with a filming journey spanning many countries. Disney and 20th Centurys Avatar: Fire and Ash was filmed in New Zealand.
Marvel Studios new film Avengers: Doomsday is currently filming in London, and the studio plans to film a co-production film with Sony Sp Spider- Man: Brand New Day also in the UK, thanks to generous tax incentives.
In this context, Hollywood was in turmoil when President Donald Trump announced that he would impose a 100% tax on films produced outside the US. Mr. Trump said that the US film industry is "dying very quickly" because other countries are offering incentives to attract American filmmakers and film studios.
However, experts say that the entertainment industry will continue to face difficulties if this tax policy is applied, especially the risk of the number of films produced decreasing.
Even before Mr Trump decided to impose a 100% tariff as he had claimed, the US film industry had already felt the impact of the trade war he had waged on China earlier over the tariff issue.
Last month, China responded by reducing the quota of US films allowed into the country. While China is the world's second largest film market after the US.
Many Hollywood film studios have had to "catch the heart" of China in many ways, so that American films can be shown in this billion-people market, contributing to a significant increase in revenue.
Not to mention, American films are also facing fierce competition for the influence of films from other countries, as global streaming services are increasingly developing. A typical example is the strong rise of Korean films on online platforms.
