A bill that increases tax credits for film productions on Oʻahu and Neighbor Islands — as long as at least 80% of the production’s hires are local — will go before Gov. Josh Green for approval.
SB 2580 would amend the motion picture, digital media and film production tax credit and allow a 5% increase to current tax credit rates on Oʻahu and Neighbor Islands for productions where at least 80% of the hires are local, bringing the tax credit rates up to 27% on Oʻahu, and 32% on Neighbor Islands.
The legislation also stipulates that the new tax credits apply retroactively to costs incurred by productions after Dec. 31, 2025. That means the legislation could apply to productions that already filmed in 2026 — such as “Protecting Jared,” which stars Jason Momoa and Andy Samberg; “Jumanji 3,” which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; and Season 2 of “Untamed” from Executive Producer John Wells, which is set at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park with production on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island — provided these productions have enough local hires to qualify for the tax credits.
“The good news is that ʻProtecting Jared’ is shooting nine weeks in Hawaiʻi — the whole film — which is really important,” said Angela Laprete, a longtime producer in Hawaiʻi, when she spoke with Aloha State Daily about movies filming across the state in mid-March. "It sets an example that a show can shoot here. And we need it, at a time where we've been at a loss of work all year last year.”
Laprete was recently a producer for Prime Video’s “The Wrecking Crew” and Apple TV’s nine-part miniseries “Chief of War,” which were filmed in Hawaiʻi and New Zealand.
“When you look at the three shows that are here, it's really the same wonderful industry professionals pushing for Hawaiʻi,” she told ASD in March. “And that's Jason Momoa, John Wells and Dwayne Johnson.”
The Walt Disney Studios has also announced plans for “Lilo & Stitch 2” a second live action movie, which would follow an earlier production that filmed entirely on Oʻahu.
The legislation also applies the incentive program to streaming productions and extends the program's sunset date to Jan. 1, 2038. Under the bill, total tax credits for a single production would cap at $20 million, up from the current $17 million. The total tax credits for all productions in a year would also be increased to $60 million, up from the current $50 million cap statewide. If the total credits for a year exceed the cap, they may be claimed in the following year.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
