Global Apprehension Over Industry Unpredictability in Quebec and Beyond

Revised Article:

Hollywood, here comes a curveball!

In a unexpected move, Prez Trump's barked about imposing ain't-no-joke tariffs on foreign films, leaving both the silver screen industry and Quebec scratching their heads.

Here's the deal: we got a bunch of documentaries, animations, and blockbusters that these days are put together piece by piece like a giant jigsaw puzzle across different countries, cousins! Post-producin' might be done in one spot, while the actual filmin' takes place somewhere else entirely. Guess who's bankrollin' this production circus? That's right, big ol' Hollywood!

So, let's hear from Stéphane Cardin, the fella who heads up Quebec's film and TV bureau, and he tells us that it's not easy to just slap a "Tariff-tax" on a film like it's a box of chocolates at the checkout counter. Stéphane noted, "It's part of the business model for the big studios now to be spittin' projects across five or six different countries."

Now think about how these foreign filmmakers are gonna react to Trump's pronouncement? Well, they ain't shakin' in their boots just yet. Michel Trudel, an admitted industry vet with fingers in plenty of film pies, said he expects the current White House administration's stance to change soon enough. In fact, he's puttin' his money on it, mates! "The phone's been ringin' off the hook since the start of the year," said Michel. He explained that Canada's got some clear advantages that Los Angeles (LA-la land) ain't got: better tax incentives, a talented crew, and an exchange rate that's favorable to our team.

That being said, the movie business is a vulnerable beast with plenty of gaps to exploit. Hollywood has seen a 40% drop in production since them writers' and actors' strikes wrapped up way back in 2023. But it seems like our buddy Trump slammed down the gavel a little too fast on the West Coast with his impromptu tariff announcement. Did people in the industry roll up their sleeves and start catchin' their breath? Certainly not!

Indeed, the Trump White House announced on Monday that they were tossin' around options to implement the President's decree ta protect the American economy, all while restoring Hollywood to its former glory. But durn it all, the Devil's in the detail, as they say. The White House spokesperson went on to say that they was explorin' all methods to carry out the President's order, but it was far from certain what would be included in these plans.

Trump himself was more explicit about his intentions on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday night, where he articulated that he was defensin' American nation security. But hey, he ain't exactly known for his nuanced, whispery diplomacy, now is he? "Movie studios are flockin' to other countries because they're offerin' all sorts of incentives to coax our filmmakers away from the United States," said Trump. Yep, that's about the size of it, boyo!

But let's face it, folks: this announcement wasn't well-received across the industry. So what's the problem? Well, plenty of questions remain unanswered. For starters, is this thing just about films? Or does it extend to TV series too? And how's this tariff gonna be applied exactly when the nature of film production now involves a whole lotta folks from all corners of the globe? As of now, the White House ain't been clear on any of that.

And what's more, stocks for big players like Netflix and Disney took a bit of a dip initially before recovering. Stokes 'em too high, and you'll see 'em fall, apparently.

Quebec producer Roger Frappier's feelin' the heat of this political mess and thinks that Trump's threats might just scare off some American productions from hoppin' across the border for a shoot in Quebec in the near future. He's even entertainin' the possibility that fear of tariffs might mess things up at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. "Y'know folks in the business will be thinkin' twice this time about buyin' a foreign production when they're considerin' how they're gonna cover the costs," said Frappier.

It ain't the first time ol' Trump's expressed concern for the health of the American film industry, which he claims has been losin' ground to foreign competition. But it's a curious situation given that at least one of his advisors, Mel Gibson, got plans to shoot his new film project smack dab in Italy this summer. Seems like ol' Sly Stallone and Jon Voight, two of Trump's other advisors in the movie biz, ain't takin' up the White House's call to boost U.S. filmin' on home turf just yet!

By 2025, the Quebec film industry might experience a shift as Hollywood filmmakers could be deterred by potential tariffs, a consequence of President Trump's proposed protectiveness measures for American films.
The general-news and crime-and-justice sectors might see French actors citing the impact of these tariffs on their work, especially if they're involved in international collaborative projects with Hollywood.
The uncertainties surrounding these tariffs have led Quebec producers like Roger Frappier to question the future of international co-productions, potentially causing them to reassess their approach at events like the Cannes Film Festival.
Industry vets like Michel Trudel anticipate a change in the Trump administration's stance towards foreign films because they believe that Canada offers advantages like better tax incentives, a talented crew, and a favorable exchange rate that could attract film productions, even under potential tariffs.