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The president’s call for tariffs caused confusion in Hollywood, which has seen a steep drop-off in local film and television production.
May 5, 2025, 6:13 p.m. ET
President Trump’s call to impose steep tariffs on movies “produced in Foreign Lands” came after he met at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend with the actor Jon Voight, whom he named a “special ambassador” to Hollywood this year.
The president’s social media post on Sunday that called for a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the United States caused confusion in Hollywood, which has lost a great deal of local film and television production to states and nations that offer rich tax credits and cheaper labor. While few in the industry said that they understood Mr. Trump’s proposal, some worried that tariffs could cause more harm than good and called instead for federal help in the form of tax credits.
Mr. Voight and Steven Paul, his longtime manager, met with Mr. Trump over the weekend and shared their plans to increase domestic film production, according to a statement from SP Media Group, Mr. Paul’s firm. They suggested federal tax incentives, changes to the tax code, co-production treaties with other nations and infrastructure subsidies, the statement said.
The proposal also included “tariffs in certain limited circumstances,” the statement said, adding that it was under review.
Mr. Voight made the rounds of Hollywood last week, meeting with the Motion Picture Association, Hollywood’s top lobbying group; various unions; and the state representatives who are pushing bills to increase state tax credits for the film and television industries. State Senator Ben Allen, Democrat of Los Angeles, met with the actor to discuss how to increase production in the state, a representative said.
Much about Mr. Trump’s effort remains unclear. What kinds of movies, exactly, would face tariffs? Would tariffs apply only to movies receiving tax incentives from foreign countries — or to any movie with scenes shot overseas? What about foreign films? Or postproduction visual effects work? Amid those and many other questions, several analysts said it was highly unlikely that a 100 percent tariff on all movies made overseas would materialize.
