Will LA be the home of TV and movies again? City changes come in 2026
Will LA be the home of TV and movies again? City changes come in 2026
Paris Barraza, USA TODAYFri, March 6, 2026 at 11:41 PM UTC
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Outside the Griffith Observatory, city and entertainment industry leaders had a strong message about the state of Los Angeles’ film and television industry.
It’s being rebuilt.
They also had an invitation: Come film in Los Angeles.
Filming fees at the observatory are being cut from $100,000 to $30,000 as part of Los Angeles’ latest move to bolster its entertainment industry. Pair that with the reopening of the Los Angeles Central Library for film production and recent efforts by the city council, and you’ve got yourself a celebration for what’s been done so far — and momentum to build what’s to come. At least, that’s how it seemed during the press conference outside the observatory on Thursday, March 5.
The cost reductions at the observatory and reopening of the library for filming were just some of the actions identified in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ executive directive in May 2025, which announced other procedural changes looking to better support the local TV and film industry. Bass said that it’s become “too difficult and cost-prohibitive to film in the city and on City properties” in her announcement last May.
“For so many aspiring filmmakers and creatives, city hall has made these sites inaccessible, driving away business, stopping job growth and silencing the beauty of storytelling,” Bass said on March 5. “As mayor, I refuse to allow this culture to continue at city hall.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks about the city's accomplishments to support its local entertainment industry at the Griffith Observatory on March 5, 2026.
Nonprofit FilmLA found in January that the total number of on-location shooting days in the Los Angeles area was down 16% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Yet 2024 was far from a success story, also suffering from a decline in on-location shooting days in the region compared to the previous year, as well as dealing with “the effects of runaway production, industry contraction and slower-than-hoped-for post strike recovery,” according to FilmLA.
SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America went on monthslong strikes in 2023.
Will these changes really move the needle? Leaders say so
The Central Library reopened for filming on March 1, a first in more than a decade, according to the mayor. Meanwhile, the observatory has been featured in numerous films, from the Oscar-winning “La La Land” to the early 2000s “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”
The library’s closure to filming was done out of “an abundance of caution” to protect its “historic asset,” John Szabo, the city librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, said to the USA TODAY Network. However, Szabo noted this was before his arrival to the Los Angeles Public Library.
According to the library, it is home to “rare and archival materials.” The library’s Goodhue Building in and of itself could be considered a historic asset, considering it was built in the 1920s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet filming can be done in a “safe” way, and it’s “what we intend to do," Szabo said.
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Arlen Valdivia, vice president of state and local government affairs at the Motion Pictures Association, described the slashing of fees at the observatory as an incentive to film there.
“When we make it easier for productions to use unique sites at lower cost, we invite productions of all shapes and sizes back into the city, creating a real impact for Angelenos,” Valdivia said. “More L.A. locations on screen mean more jobs for local workers, more revenue for small businesses, and an overall stronger economy.”
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Joely Fisher, SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local president, echoed Valdivia’s sentiments about the changes coming to the library and observatory as being important for jobs and highlighted the workers in the industry who aren’t actors, such as those who build sets, design costumes, handle lighting and more. It’s those families that feel it first when production leaves the city, Fisher said.
“What today’s announcement says is, ‘We want you here. We’re making it possible for you to stay,’” Fisher said. “And that matters.”
‘We’re not retreating,’ LA entertainment industry leader says
The Los Angeles City Council passed several motions that shape permitting and other requirements for filming and production on Wednesday, March 4. That includes directing the city to develop a program to fast-track soundstage permitting; creating an ordinance to establish a free permit for small shoots, or "micro" shoots; and tasking Los Angeles' tourism department with looking into creating a citywide film location fan tour.
The city will also request an independent audit of Los Angeles’ “complete film permitting ecosystem.”
The move comes as the state expanded California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program in July 2025, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that annual funding for the program had more than doubled to $750 million. According to FilmLA, many of the 28 film projects awarded these credits late last year will be made in Greater Los Angeles. The tax credits are based on qualified spending for productions filmed in the state, including for TV shows and independent films, according to the California Film Commission.
Councilmember Adrin Nazarian told the USA TODAY Network that if California is going to provide the tax credit — “the incentive” — the city should make sure “the cost is low and the accessibility is with ease” when asked more about the city council’s latest efforts to address its entertainment industry.
“If we can achieve those two things, then we’re on the right track,” Nazarian said. “So, along those lines are: What are all the low-hanging fruit things that we need to be doing? Everything from eliminating redundant requirements, modernizing outdated conditions, creating new pathways for small productions, increasing transparency and accountability.”
Los Angeles has celebrated some recent wins in its local entertainment industry.
Cinespace Studios, which operates sound stages and production facilities, held a grand opening for its Woodland Hills campus on March 2. It followed the grand opening of East End Studios’ Arts District campus in January.
People have watched production leave because it became “too expensive or too complicated” to film in Los Angeles, according to Fisher. However, the expanding infrastructure for the industry, like soundstages, “tells” her something.
“We're not retreating,” Fisher said. “We're rebuilding.”
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA cuts Griffith Observatory filming fees. Why does it matter?
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