Hollywood’s New Home: Filming Comes Back to LA

The upcoming Fox reboot of “Baywatch” will be one of the few big‑budget shows that actually shoots on the West Coast this year. Its scenes will be filmed along Venice Beach and inside Fox Studios, a sharp contrast to the trend of productions moving away from Los Angeles. The shift is part of a larger migration of film and television projects to other states and countries. California has been struggling to compete with places like Georgia, New York, Canada, the United Kingdom and Hungary that offer generous tax incentives. In response, Governor Gavin Newsom has expanded the state’s tax credit program to attract more productions. The “Baywatch” revival is not the only Hollywood‑based project heading back to LA. Netflix’s “The Night Agent” will relocate its fourth season to Los Angeles, and major studios such as Sony and Universal are also planning shoots in the state. These changes signal a turning point for the industry.To make filming easier, the Los Angeles City Council has adopted several proposals. They aim to speed up soundstage approvals, enforce a 2025 executive order that protects filmmakers, and conduct an independent audit of FilmLA—the agency that issues permits. The council also supports free “microshoots, ” which are small productions with ten or fewer people. The tourism department has been asked to develop a “Made in LA” branding campaign. This initiative will showcase the city’s appeal as a filming destination and help attract future projects. The combination of expanded tax credits, streamlined regulations, and targeted marketing efforts suggests that Los Angeles is positioning itself to regain its status as a major hub for film and television production.