The next big drama in Hollywood may not be in theaters, but it could be in the White House. President Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films.
Fayetteville, Georgia – The next big drama for Hollywood may not be on the big screen, but in the White House.
President Donald Trump is proposing a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films, claiming film jobs have been “stolen” by international competitors. The announcement marks the second time Trump has threatened tariffs on films produced outside the United States.
“Our film business has been stolen from the United States of America by other countries, like stealing candy from a baby,” President Trump said in a Truth Social Post. “California, with its weak and incompetent governor, has been hit especially hard! Therefore, to solve this long-standing, never-ending problem, I will impose a 100% tariff on all films made outside the United States.”
Fayette County, Georgia – home to Trilith Studios and known as the “Hollywood of the South” – has been a magnet for blockbuster productions, including Marvel’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Captain America: Brave New World.”
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President Donald Trump holds a graph as he makes remarks about reciprocal tariffs during a Rose Garden event titled “Make America Wealthy Again” at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Marvel is one of many Hollywood studios that have filmed in Georgia to take advantage of the state’s generous film tax breaks. The company has produced nearly two dozen superhero films and TV shows in the Atlanta area.
However, the studio has recently seen a number of film jobs move overseas. Marvel Studios announced plans to move from Georgia to Britain after more than a decade of filming in the state. Starting with this summer’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Marvel is shooting most of its upcoming projects in the United Kingdom.
Some in the industry believe Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign-made films could help the film industry keep jobs in the United States.
Marvel Studios began filming at Trilith Studios over a decade ago. (Trilith Studios / Credible)
“He wants to bring the films back to our homes … to prevent film companies from going to Budapest, Australia,” said Eddie Matthews, a film industry veteran and president of Hollywood South Films. “It’s going to tax them when they come back, and so they’re going to say, ‘Okay, we can’t leave the country now. Where can we take the best tax break in this country?’ and hopefully it’s Atlanta, and we’ll do well here.”
Matthews – a film industry veteran – pointed out that the US is losing major projects to Canada and other major film markets.
“I mean Canada alone makes hundreds and hundreds of movies a year. If we could get that alone, let alone the hundreds that go everywhere else, that would be great,” Matthews said.
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According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, U.S. film production represented 5.32% of global production in 2023 – up from 9.53% the year before.
Some in the industry believe that tariffs could have a negative impact on the film industry, given the nature of the film industry.
A view of the Hollywood sign on September 30, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“The tariff wouldn’t really work in the same way that people typically see tariffs working. They’re usually product-based for cars or computers or things that actually cross a border, and it’s a physical product,” said Randy Davidson, CEO of Georgia Entertainment. “A movie has multiple owners – and then you have projects and productions like Superman which was recently made in Georgia, with locations across the country and around the world. It would be very, very difficult to bring those things together.”
Netflix’s new $1 billion studio construction will begin with an expected opening in 2028. (Netflix)
Davidson warned that tariffs could backfire and dramatically increase prices for movie theaters and streaming services.
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“I was given an example where you would go into a theater, and there would be a list of movies on the left that were produced abroad that cost $40 each to see, and there would be movies on the right that were made in America that would cost $15.”
Instead of tariffs, Davidson believes a nationwide tax incentive – similar to what is being done in other countries – could be more effective.
“When the president mentioned a tariff earlier, there was a group that came together and there are lawmakers who are shepherding this through our legislative process in DC as we speak in the Senate and in the House,” Davidson said. “We’ve heard from production executives at Netflix and Warner Brothers and others that a federal stimulus would actually make it easier to stay in America.”
For now, Trump’s tariff proposal remains just that — a proposal — and the White House has not said when the tariffs might go into effect. Yet the idea is already dividing the sector.
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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
