How Britain became Hollywood's biggest threat as Trump threatens movie tariffs
Donald Trump has said he is planning to hit films made outside the US with 100% tariffs as he ramps up more trade disputes. The president has announced he is imposing a levy on foreign films because America's film industry was "dying a very fast death" due to soaring costs of filming in Hollywood.
The growing cost of production in Hollywood has resulted in filmmakers moving production overseas to keep costs low and now it appears the UK may be giving Tinseltown a run for its money.
Trump has blamed a "concerted effort" by other countries that offer incentives for films to be made elsewhere - something he thinks is a "national security threat".
Trump took to his Truth Social platform and said: "It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!"
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded to the announcement, saying "We're on it". However it's not clear what will come into place and whether the tariff would apply to American production companies producing films abroad. Films such as Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Gladiator II were all produced by US studios but were shot outside of America.
It's part of the imposed film tariffs the president has imposed on the rest of the world since his return to the White House in January. He stated these tariffs will help boost US manufacturers and protect jobs, despite throwing the global economy into chaos.
It's also unclear if the tariffs would apply for films on streaming services including Netflix, as well as cinemas. Timothy Richards, founder of VUE cinema chain shared his thoughts on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He questioned how Trump would define a US film and said: "Is it where the money comes from? The script, the director, the talent, where it was shot?"
He further explained how the cost of filming in Hollywood has significantly grown over the decades which has meant filmmakers have been drawn to move production to locations including the UK, which have increasingly offered tax incentives and lower costs.
"But it's not just the actual financing itself. One of reasons UK has done so well is we have some of the most highly experienced and skilled film and production crew in the world, the devil will be in the details," Mr Richards added.
But if these tariffs come into play, UK media union Bectu warned they could "deal a knock-out blow" to the industry including the thousands of freelancers. Union chief Philippa Childs told the BBC: "The government must move swiftly to defend this vital sector, and support the freelancers who power it, as a matter of essential national economic interest."
In response to the tariff threats, the UK government said it was "absolutely committed" to making sure the film sector thrives and create jobs. This includes plans to do so in its upcoming Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Ahead of his inauguration, Trump appointed film stars Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone to become special ambassadors tasked with promoting business opportunities in Hollywood, which he described as a "great but very troubled place". Trump wrote at the time: "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!"
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