Donald Trump’s recent moves are….bold to say the least.
His overhaul of tariffs doesn’t just apply to trade relations – films made in foreign countries will have a whopping 100% tariff score if all goes according to his plan.
It’s true that America’s film industry is experiencing “a very fast death”, as the POTUS puts it — but this feels like a quick and violent fix to a much deeper problem.
American films, once beloved all over the world by audience who laughed and cried watching them in equal measure, have seen a dramatic decline in just the past few years, particularly since covid. Even from 2022 to 2025, production spending has declined by over a quarter.
It’s gotten so bad that an exodus of filmmakers has taken to the UK and Canada, leading major films to filmed elsewhere: like Wicked and Gladiator II.
Filming is exorbitant, and box-office sales are not compensating.
Trump blames propaganda for flops.
Of course, Trump needs Hollywood’s approval to execute this. But the entire government has expressed its approval and support.
The UK, which only benefitted from the presence of American filmmakers, doesn’t appreciate this now.
Other countries have also said that this might affect the success of American films overseas, paradoxically.
China has already limited the amount of American films it will buy.
Trump has appointed three major actors — Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone — as special envoys for bringing Hollywood back to its former glory.
