Over 6,000 Hollywood workers have signed a petition urging TV and film productions to stay in L.A. in the wake of the wildfires to help the “city rebuild itself.”
Julie Bowen, Alison Brie, Judy Reyes, Noah Wyle, Fiona Dourif and Tom Ellis are among the 6,764 supporters (as of this writing) of the “Stay in L.A.” petition, which has called upon California politicians to uncap the tax incentive for productions that shoot in Los Angeles county, as well as studios and streamers to pledge at least 10% more production in L.A., both with goals over the next three years.
“We were already deeply worried about the livelihoods of Los Angeles-area cast and crew, not to mention the countless small businesses suffering from production moving out of state and overseas,” the petitions reads. “The fires have made a desperate situation worse. We are terrified that the city we love so much may lose its most vital resource: its people. We need a flood of new work to help our beloved city rebuild itself and ensure L.A.’s future viability as a place where craftspeople, film workers and businesses thrive.”
The petition then noted how L.A.-based production boosts “every sector,” including restaurants, retail, salons and hospitality, and further applauded Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to increase California’s film/tv tax incentive to $750 million annually.
Despite this support, the petition outlines how the city is in “an existential moment” and needs “a targeted incentive that gives working people of L.A. a fighting chance to stay here.”
“We propose uncapping the tax incentive for productions that shoot in L.A. county for the next three years as part of the overall disaster relief effort. We urge Governor Newsom, the California State Legislature, Karen Bass and the Los Angeles City Council to join forces – right now – and take emergency measures to help families #StayInLA by bringing back production,” the petition states.
This also echoes many creatives’ concerns in the wake of the devastating fires, with Vin Diesel revealing that Universal will finish shooting “Fast X: Part 2” in Los Angeles after his sister urged him that “Los Angeles needs it now more than ever.”
You can find the petition, here.
