‘Joker' sequel, ‘Rebel Moon Part 2' among projects announced under CA tax credit

Joker: Folie à Deux, Zack Snyder’s Netflix sci-fi Rebel Moon Part 2 and See-Saw Films’ A Special Relationship are among the latest round of tax credit projects announced by the California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program.

California is backing four big-budget projects and 14 independents which film commission officers say will generate an estimated $915m in overall production spending across the state.

The figure includes $503m in “qualified” spend, defined as wages to below-the-line workers and payments to in-state vendors. Only the qualified portion of each project’s budget is eligible for tax credits under the incentive.

Warner Bros’ Joker: Folie à Deux gets $98.7m in qualified spending (estimated tax credit $12.6m), AGBO/MGM’s The Thomas Crown Affair remake gets $87.9m ($19.6m), Rebel Moon Part 2 $83m ($16.6m), and Netflix’s Untitled NF Project $107.7m ($20.5m).

The commission said these four films alone are expected to generate $377m in qualified spending and $748m in overall spending in California.

“We are thrilled to continue welcoming the kind of big budget films that used to be so susceptible to runaway production,” said California Film Commission executive director Colleen Bell. “In addition to our incentive, we have the best talent, crews, infrastructure, locations, weather and so much more. California is ready to help filmmakers make the most of all we have to offer.”

Joker: Folie à Deux writer director and producer Todd Phillips said, “No other city has more resources than L.A. when it comes to our industry, and to have this kind of support for the work we do from the California Film Commission’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program is a nice welcome for all of us on Joker: Folie à Deux.

“Having spent the last several years filming in iconic locales here in the U.S. and around the globe, I’m looking forward to returning to work in the place I call home and to serving the state by bringing a project of this scope to California.”

Five of the 14 independent projects have qualified spend over $10m, among them A Special Relationship, which is expected to get a tax credit of $2.5m.

All 18 projects announced on Monday (August 22) will employ an estimated 2,544 crew, 596 cast and 28,767 background actors/stand-ins, measured in “man- days”. They are also expected to generate significant postproduction jobs and revenue for California effects artists, sound editors, sound mixers, musicians and other workers/vendors.

Production on each is set to take place in at least 10 California counties over a combined 718 filming days in California, with 218 days planned outside the Los Angeles 30-Mile Studio Zone.

The California Film Commission received 57 applications during the July 18-25 feature film tax credit application period. It has reserved a total of $93.7m in tax credit allocation for the 18 conditionally approved projects.

The next application period for feature films will be held January 30 – February 6, 2023. The next application period for TV projects will be held September 19-26, 2022.

Last week it emerged that Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign a bill that will extend the tax credit through 2030 and req