Ontario braces for post-Hollywood strike reality reset year

Hollywood’s surprisingly slow recovery from the strike gave Ontario a much-needed boost when Amazon-MGM Studios opened a production hub at Pinewood Toronto Studios.

In January 2024, the major studio signed an agreement with Pinewood Group for exclusive use of five new soundstages and a total of approximately 160,000 square feet of office space. “This is a huge vote of confidence in the province,” Ontario Film Commissioner Justin Cutler of Ontario Creates told us hollywood reporter.

Amazon-MGM Studios has filmed about 40 movies and TV series in the Canadian province. But multi-year studio leases make it clear how the return of major studios and streaming has suddenly come to life and is gathering momentum.

“Amazon has bigger projects in Ontario, such as boys and Racheltheir platform continues to break records, which builds a lot of confidence in our people, our locations and our drive to invest in Ontario for the long term,” Cutler added.

Of course, for many, the major studios and streamers can’t return to Ontario quickly enough, or don’t have as deep pockets after hitting the pause button in the wake of the strike. Streamlined Hollywood is also having an impact further down the industry food chain.

“I do feel like there’s been pressure to keep budgets down, and I feel like that’s becoming the new normal,” said David Cronenberg producer Martin Katz. shroudThe film premiered in North America at the Toronto Film Festival, telling THR as he seeks financing and shoots new projects.

But going forward, local studios will rely on the inherent advantages Ontario offers U.S. producers—generous film tax credits and monetary savings, world-class talent and crew, and well-established infrastructure—to continue their success in Hollywood. Move forward with the trend. “Our value proposition is as strong as ever,” insists Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of Ontario Creates, which markets the province to Hollywood and other foreign producers.

“shroud”

These include Ontario’s recent reforms to streamline its digital animation and visual effects tax credits and increase regional bonuses to produce in more areas across the province, encourage sustainable production training through the Green Screen Program, and core workforce training and continued film studio construction.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein The Netflix film starring Jacob Elordi and Oscar Issac is filming at Cinespace Studios’ Marine Terminal campus when an ominous ship docks in the adjacent harbor. “This is a year of reset for everyone,” said Magali Simard, director of industry and community relations at Cinespace.

As part of a planned expansion, her studio complex will soon break ground at the Marine Terminal location, providing more soundstages and support space. “We’re absolutely confident about the rebound. We’ve been feeling this every day since early spring, and we expect the next two years to be very crowded, and we hope the city is filled with that feeling,” Simard said.

She added that Ontario is expected to capture a larger share of post-strike production in Hollywood, given its longstanding relationship with U.S. producers. “When you look at global output, the cities and regions that are able to sustain what they are and are able to grow are the ones that have a pretty good ecosystem of incentives, infrastructure, talent, and forward-thinking space. — We’re here Yes,” Simard explained.

fire inside

Jennifer Liscio, vice president of tax incentives and business affairs for Entertainment Partners, which also advises Hollywood producers on tax incentives, agreed that Ontario will continue to maintain and grow its market leadership. “Ontario continues to be well-positioned and has made efforts to simplify some of the red tape and administrative burden of applying for tax credits, which is always attractive to our customers, which are primarily U.S. products,” Liccio said.

But given the streaming industry’s continued decline in spending, no one is expecting a happy ending. “It’s going to come back; it’s not going to go back to the way it was before,” said Paul Bronfman, chairman and CEO of Comweb Corp. and senior advisor to Pinewood Toronto Studios. ” THR.

With Hollywood a major driver of future growth, Ontario was experiencing record production activity across the province before twin strikes led to the latest industry shutdown. As Ontario restarts, the province continues to build infrastructure, building new studios and a larger, more skilled workforce to train and prepare high-end film and television productions.

The province is also pushing for more environmental sustainability and workforce diversification measures to encourage the return of foreign producers. It’s worth noting that local Ontario producers have long built resilience and perseverance into their business models and are well-positioned for growth post-Hollywood strike.

Christina Piovesan is producer and president of independent film company First Generation Films, which just co-produced with Elevation Pictures, you are so sadAdapted from Françoise Sagan’s coming-of-age novel, it will have its world premiere at TIFF.

“A lot of people are looking to Canada because we can do missions at a lower cost because we’re as close to the United States as ever,” Piovesan said.

In addition to having to take greater financial risks to develop films and TV series, local Ontario producers must also hedge their bets with more commercial projects geared toward world markets.

One example is Jennifer Holness, a producer on director RT Thorne’s film. 40 acresis a dystopian thriller that had its world premiere at TIFF, starring Danielle Deadwyler, and tells the story of a black farming family who settle in Canada after the American Civil War and must fight against an organized militia. Holness describes her latest feature, shot in Ontario, as a “high” genre film aimed at a risk-averse industry.

“It puts its own spin and takes you on an unexpected journey, which is more than just spinning the metaphor the way people want it to be,” she argued. Other TIFF 2024 films shot in Ontario include José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço young wertherthe feature directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Rachel Morrison fire insideKaniehtiio Horn seedLi Shuxian pay the priceSofia Bodanovich Funeral measures Canadian-Irish co-production with Jason Buxton sharp corners.

Ontario’s domestic production sector, long a tugboat for the province’s industry but facing declining license fees for local broadcasters, is now casting a wider net toward international co-production partners and private investors.

One example is Ontario-based independent producer Aircraft Pictures’ collaboration with co-producers France’s Nolita and South Africa’s Film Afrika The King’s Stone: The Search for Labus’ Treasurea six-part family adventure series. Anthony Leo, co-president of Aircraft, said Ontario producers can no longer rely solely on big streaming to fund a project, or to produce large amounts of content on-site, as they did when the province’s TV boom is now over.

“If you’re not used to co-productions, it can be a bit of a shock to the system,” Leo said after a series of recent conversations with Americans who want to form co-financing partnerships with Ontario producers rather than just sell them. A plan to connect to the US Internet.

In addition, Blue Ant alumnus Josh Bowen recently founded Cutting Class Media and inked a deal with Lakeside Animation to produce 10 adult animated dramas and comedies for global markets over five years. Bowen tells THR Instead of relying on pre-sales, he’s betting on global streamers who will eventually need premium content because there is less and less of it.

“If I can go out in two years and the anchors say, ‘We’re not getting anywhere,’ I can get that first window, I can pay $5 million instead of paying $20 million,” Bowen said. commission.