Behind the glitz of the movie awards season that culminates with the 2025 Oscar awards ceremony, Hollywood is fighting a battle to keep its place at the centre of the global film business.
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None of the 10 best picture contenders being celebrated at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre were filmed in the US city of Los Angeles, home to most major film companies for more than a century. Wicked, for example – a prequel to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz – was filmed in Britain.
Movie and television production has been exiting Hollywood for years, heading to locations with tax incentives that make filming cheaper. Crew members were hoping for a rebound in Los Angeles after strikes by writers and actors in 2023, but statistics show the comeback has been slow.
The wildfires that destroyed sections of Los Angeles in January accelerated concerns that producers may look elsewhere, and that camera operators, costume designers, sound technicians and other behind-the-scenes workers may move away rather than try to rebuild in their neighbourhoods.
“There are a lot of people that haven’t worked in a while because of the strikes and everything, and now the fires,” said Samantha Quan, producer of Oscar best picture nominee Anora, filmed in Brooklyn, New York and Las Vegas.
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