California’s newly expanded $750 million-a-year Film & TV Tax Credit Program is officially underway — and the results are already reshaping the state’s production landscape.

This week, the California Film Commission awarded more than $256 million in credits across 22 television projects that are returning, relocating or launching in the state. Among them: Dan Fogelman’s upcoming NFL drama, which scored $42 million — the largest allocation in the program’s history — and Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards.

The rollout marks the first tangible impact of “Program 4.0,” the expanded incentive package championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and pushed across the finish line in July after a year-long campaign that brought together lawmakers, industry unions and production workers.

A Coalition in Action

The legislation — AB1138 and SB630 — was backed by the Entertainment Union Coalition (EUC), a collective of seven guilds and unions representing more than 165,000 workers, including IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, Teamsters Local 399 and the Writers Guild of America West.

In February, the EUC launched the Keep California Rolling campaign, underscoring that the goal wasn’t just about luring projects but preserving jobs across every level of production. “Our guiding principle was simple: retain, return and sustain as many jobs as possible,” said DGA Western executive director Rebecca Rhine, who serves as EUC president.

Applications surged 400% in the first round compared with prior cycles — a sign, according to California Film Commission head Colleen Bell, that the revamped program is resonating. “Productions that might have automatically gone out of state are now giving California a serious second look,” Bell said.

What’s New in Program 4.0

Key provisions include:

• Raising credits up to 35% in Los Angeles, with additional uplifts (up to 5%) for VFX, regional filming and local hiring.

• Expanded eligibility to cover half-hour series, animation, and large-scale competition shows.

• Revised rules requiring series to return within 18 months to retain funding, freeing up allocations for new projects.

Above-the-line costs remain excluded from the program — a strategic decision to keep the legislation viable amid a state budget shortfall and to avoid perceptions that taxpayers were subsidizing A-list salaries. Commercials were also left out, with lawmakers focusing instead on job-heavy series and features.

Political Theater Meets Production Realities

Getting the bill passed was no small feat. Lawmakers grilled advocates on why film and television should be prioritized over housing, healthcare and infrastructure. Production workers countered by bringing the industry directly to Sacramento: redesigning iconic movie posters to highlight economic impact, testifying in committee hearings, and even hosting legislators on set visits, including a tour of Amazon’s Fallout, which relocated to California for its second season.

“That gave legislators a real sense of what this industry does,” Rhine said. “It’s not hype — these are jobs and businesses that ripple across the state.”

The Stakes for Hollywood

Between 2015 and 2020, California lost an estimated 28,000 jobs and $7.7 billion in economic activity to runaway production. The state’s entertainment workforce, still recovering from pandemic shutdowns and labor strikes, has been vocal about the need to protect one of California’s core industries.

“This industry is the linchpin of our economy,” said costume designer Brigitta Romanov, who heads IATSE Local 892. “People don’t see it that way — but it supports a 10-to-1 ratio of secondary businesses compared to anywhere else in the world.”

Looking Beyond California

While the program’s expansion is already being felt — with Fallout, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Prime Video’s Ballard among the high-profile series relocating to California — union leaders are now setting their sights on federal action.

“There’s a lot the states can do, but at the end of the day we’re competing against countries with national incentive programs,” Rhine said. “This is one of the last quintessential American industries exported around the world, and it’s highly profitable. Keeping it here should be a bipartisan priority.”

For now, the surge in applications and new allocations suggest the fight to keep Hollywood in Hollywood may finally have momentum — with labor, lawmakers and creatives pulling in the same direction.