A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The film industry started the week with a little confusion.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
That was after President Trump announced on Truth Social that he was imposing a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the U.S. On Sunday night, he posted that, quote, "the movie industry in America is dying a very fast death. Other countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States," unquote.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR entertainment correspondent Mandalit del Barco joins us now to talk about this. So I - you know, Mandalit, the basic question is probably going to spring up more questions. So how would a hundred percent tariff on films made outside the U.S. actually work?
MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: Yeah, that's exactly what everyone in Hollywood and in film and TV industries around the world would like to know. President Trump's initial announcement was surprising. It left so many questions. Who would have to pay a tariff - the studios, film distributors? Will ticket prices go up? Would this be for international films or for American films shooting or filming on location or on soundstages around the world? What about TV and streaming shows? There've a lot of emergency closed-door meetings, group chats and social media speculation. Studios have been quiet so far, but the head of IATSE, the union representing behind-the-scenes entertainment workers, says any plan must not harm the U.S. or Canadian film industries.
MARTÍNEZ: The president says other countries are offering incentives to attract movie studios and filmmakers. So can you tell us about the incentives that he was referring to? I know that you have been reporting on this.
DEL BARCO: Yeah, that's right. And it's true that for decades, places like Canada, the U.K., Australia and really all over the world - they've offered productions generous tax incentives, rebates and grants to shoot or film in their countries. Some have even built new soundstages to entice productions wanting to cut costs. Trump says the global incentives are a threat to the national security.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so what are people overseas saying about this announcement from Trump?
DEL BARCO: You can imagine, A, studios and unions around the world are worried that this could spell the end of their own production industries. Some wonder if countries will retaliate with their own tariffs on American films. Yesterday, President Trump told reporters he wants to meet the film industry in this country to make sure they're happy with his plan to bring back showbiz jobs.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Hollywood doesn't do very much of that business. They have the nice sign, and everything's good, but they don't do very much.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So why do you think this issue came up at all for President Trump?
DEL BARCO: Well, I'll give you a hint - Jon Voight. Trump calls the actor one of his special ambassadors, along with Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson. In a video shared with NPR, Voight calls Trump the greatest president since Abe Lincoln and his friend.
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JON VOIGHT: Who loves the entertainment business, wants to see Hollywood thrive and make films bigger and greater than ever before.
DEL BARCO: Now, Jon Voight says he presented Trump a plan to rescue the American film industry with federal tax incentives, coproduction treaties with other countries, and subsidies for theater owners and film and TV production companies. Late last week, Voight also met with California Senator Ben Allen, who co-authored a state bill that would expand film and TV incentives, along with California Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to more than double the state's production tax credits. Trump blamed the governor for allowing productions to leave California. But late last night, Newsom said in a statement that he wants to team up with the Trump administration to create a $7.5 billion federal film tax credit.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's NPR's Mandalit del Barco. Thanks a lot.
DEL BARCO: Thank you, A. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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