The Hollywood box office seems to be bouncing back, with expectations that domestic revenues might reach $10 billion for the first time since 2019. Yet, the scene in Los Angeles itself isn’t as bright.
FilmLA, the organization behind movie statistics, released its Q2 report recently, indicating a 13% drop in production days for film and television compared to last year.
In fact, there were 4,711 shooting days from April to June of this year, which is a 12.7% decline from the same timeframe in 2025, where 5,394 days were recorded.
This figure also reflects an 8% decrease from the first quarter of this year, which had 5,121 filming days, and is a significant 35.9% lower than the five-year average for this period.
On a somewhat positive note, 170 projects have been granted production tax credits through California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program, including 41 newly announced projects from earlier this month.
Even though the drop in production is concerning, there’s a silver lining in the report: television production is actually showing strong growth in several areas.
Overall television production saw 1,607 shooting days in Q2, an alarming 27.7% decrease from the same quarter last year, when there were 2,224 filming days. However, the TV drama segment was only down by 6.4% compared to the previous year.
Interestingly, the number of shooting days for TV shows increased by 34.4% from Q1 to Q2 this year, with some notable smaller films being produced in the area.
The Los Angeles area hosted filming for several high-profile projects, including Fox’s reboot of “Baywatch” and Hulu’s “Prison Break” revival, alongside returning shows like “The Ballad” (Amazon), “Bosch: Start If Watch” (MGM+), and “The Night Agent” (Netflix).
In additional developments, filming for TV dramas rose by 55%, with 732 days logged compared to 472 days in Q1. Still, some regions are experiencing marked declines.
Reality TV production saw 676 shooting days in Q2, a drop of 39.9% from last year’s count of 1,124 days. Nonetheless, reality programming is up 32% since Q1, with 476 filming days recorded, features like “America’s Got Talent,” “American Idol,” and others taking place in the greater Los Angeles area.
On a less positive note, comedy productions were shot in just 57 days, down 43% from 2025, and slightly down from Q1’s 110 days. Various projects such as “The Shrinking,” “The Studio,” and “The Paper” were filmed locally.
Feature film production also took a hit, recording 443 shooting days, which is a 19.9% decrease from Q2 2025 and down roughly 40% from the five-year average. Commercial production fell by 21.5% year-over-year, declining from 692 days last year to 543 in Q2 2026, and down 32% compared to this year’s Q1.
Despite these declines, LA Mayor Karen Bass highlighted some encouraging signs from FilmLA’s quarterly report. She stated that local productions are increasing thanks to the incentives provided.
“While there is still much work to do, FilmLA’s quarterly report shows that incentives are working. These productions create well-paying jobs and economic opportunities for Angelenos,” Bass remarked.
She mentioned her efforts in establishing California’s initial film and television tax credit and the ongoing push for an expansive uncapped tax credit. She aims to streamline processes and lower local permit fees, underlining the industry’s significance to the city’s culture and economy. “The power of Los Angeles,” she concluded.
