Hollywood may finally be bringing the heat home — literally.

After years of losing productions to London, Atlanta, and Budapest, California’s newly supercharged Film and Television Tax Credit Program is starting to deliver results. Among the first big winners: Michael Mann’s long-awaited Heat 2 and Sony Pictures’ next Jumanji installment, both set to shoot in the Golden State as part of a $334 million incentive round unveiled Tuesday by the California Film Commission (CFC).

In all, 52 feature films — including 10 studio projects and 42 independent titles — are receiving tax credits under the state’s revamped program, which officials say will generate $1.4 billion in economic activity, employ 8,900 cast and crew, and inject life back into California’s battered production economy.

A Revival Story Worthy of Hollywood

California’s film incentive expansion — boosting the annual pool from $330 million to $750 million and offering credits up to 35% on qualified expenditures — marks the state’s most aggressive bid yet to reclaim productions lost to competing regions.

And the timing couldn’t be better. Los Angeles filming levels hit yet another record low this summer, down double digits from 2021’s streaming-era highs, according to FilmLA.

“This is exactly why we fought for this expansion,” said Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission. “Those projects would’ve gotten made — but not here in California. With these changes, we’re finally curbing runaway production and rebuilding the foundation of our creative economy.”

The competition for incentives has exploded. The CFC reports a 200% jump in applications over the same period last year — proof that studios are watching closely.

The Big Guns Are Back

Leading the pack of incentive recipients are major studio titles returning to their Hollywood roots.

• Heat 2 (Warner Bros.) — $37.2 million in credits; 47 days of shooting planned across Los Angeles.

• Jumanji sequel (Sony Pictures) — $43.9 million in credits; one of the largest single allocations to date.

• NBCUniversal feature (untitled) — $38.4 million.

• Warner Bros. Pictures project (untitled) — $39.6 million.

• Netflix’s The Fifth Wheel and Sunday (Blumhouse) — a combined $34 million.

• Apple Studios and Paramount Pictures also nabbed slots in the high-profile lineup.

“These are the kinds of films that belong here,” said Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tom Rothman. “The work brings jobs, training, and infrastructure — and it helps filmmakers make the best film possible.”

Director Jake Kasdan, returning to helm Jumanji, echoed the sentiment: “I’ve long looked forward to the day when California’s incentives made it possible to bring movies like this one home. That day is finally here.”

Independent Voices Get a Lift

While the headlines belong to Mann and Kasdan, the CFC’s latest round is also a major win for independent producers.

Among the 42 indie titles awarded credits — many with budgets under $10 million — are Epiphany, The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones, Sun Baked, A Tree Is Blue, and Nightwatching.

“As Chair of Mayor Karen Bass’s Entertainment Industry Council, I know how important it is to create in a place that supports storytellers,” said producer Ellen Goldsmith-Vein (Epiphany). “Making this film in California means I get to work with the best crews in the business while keeping jobs in my community.”

Bell called the blend of blockbusters and indie films “the new model for a sustainable production economy.”

Beyond L.A.: A Statewide Push

While Los Angeles remains the heart of California’s screen industry, the next wave of production is spreading statewide. The CFC reported a record 511 shoot days planned outside L.A. County — from the Bay Area and Santa Clarita to the desert and Central Valley.

Projects shooting beyond Los Angeles can qualify for an additional uplift in tax credits, a policy designed to spread economic benefits across California communities.

“This round of awards demonstrates the outstanding scope of our program,” Bell said. “We’re welcoming everything from major franchises to visionary indie films — and the momentum is real. California isn’t just rebounding, it’s redefining what’s possible.”

The Big Picture: Hollywood Comes Home

For years, California has watched its production dominance erode as studios chased cheaper incentives abroad. The new program — part of a broader strategy championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and industry leaders — aims to reverse that trend by keeping marquee projects, skilled crews, and postproduction dollars in-state.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Film and TV production supports more than 700,000 California jobs and $70 billion in annual economic output, according to the Motion Picture Association.

And for local crew members who’ve spent the last two years facing empty call sheets and nonunion gig work, the return of large-scale productions like Heat 2 and Jumanji isn’t just symbolic — it’s salvation.

See full list of projects below: