U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, talks about new legislation aimed at keeping movie production in the United States. Sept. 30, 2026.
WASHINGTON (WCIV) —Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott remembers growing up, going to his local movie theater and watching films like “Rocky III,” mesmerized by what he saw.
He is now setting out to recreate the magic he experienced as a teenager working in the very theaters he felt brought a “$100 million experience” close to home.
On Wednesday, Scott touted his recently introduced “Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act,” or, as he coined it, the “Just Make Films in America Act.” The bill would establish a 20% base tax credit for qualifying film, television and visual effects projects produced in the United States. It would also provide bonus credits of up to 5% for productions in rural areas, multistate productions, projects completed by independent producers and companies that increase their number of domestic productions from year to year.
“Keeping film production in America is so important,” Scott said. “Not for the actors, but for the blue-collar workers. This [bill] strikes the perfect balance, not by using federal dollars, but by using tax credits to incentivize more production in America.”
The bill could serve as a lifeline for Hollywood, which has struggled as more films move overseas and production in the United States dries up. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and the industry has fallen into disrepair and despair.
Underscoring the crisis are recent films like “Resident Evil” by Zach Cregger, which was filmed in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, “The Dog Stars,” Ridley Scott’s film set in Colorado, was actually filmed in Italy. Cregger’s work grossed $60 million at the domestic box office opening week.
Film production, in recent years, has moved out of the United States as companies look for cheaper labor and seek to take advantage of other countries’ lucrative tax incentives.
The legislation Scott touted Wednesday provides a federal tax credit for labor costs, including visual effects and postproduction work. The federal tax credit would build on state incentives, like the ones in California or Georgia. When accounting for state tax breaks, a film production company could see its costs nearly halved if the bill becomes law.
The legislation has received support from organizations including the American Federation of Musicians, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the Coalition for American Production, CreativeFuture, the Directors Guild of America, FilmUSA, the Independent Film and Television Alliance, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Motion Picture Association, Paramount, the Producers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, the Teamsters, the Television Academy, the Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West.
Alongside large portions of Hollywood, it has also received bipartisan support in Congress, though its path to becoming law is an uphill battle. Included as a supporter is President Donald Trump, who called for incentives to keep domestic film production afloat.
“The actors, they are going to get paid whether the film is done in America, Japan, China or the UK,” Scott said. “The people who will not get paid are the camera operators, the makeup artists, the construction workers, the costume designers, the caterers and the small businesses.”
Scott, with his colleagues in tow, thinks they have the answer.
The full text of the bill can be read below.
Motion-Picture-Television-and-Entertainment-Revitalization-Act-1PDF preview
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