‘Hunters,’ ‘Right Stuff’ Relocating to California for Production Tax Credit

Amazon Prime’s war crime drama “Hunters” and Disney Plus’ historical drama “The Right Stuff” are relocating to California, thanks to the state’s tax credit program.

The California Film Commission made the announcement Wednesday, noting that the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program has attracted a total of 22 relocating series. “Hunters” is the sixth series to have relocated from New York and “The Right Stuff” is the second to have relocated form Florida following “Ballers.” Other relocated shows include “Miracle Workers,” “In Treatment,” “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,” “Good Girls,” “You,” “Sneaky Pete,” “Legion” and “Veep.”

The commission said that for their first seasons in California, “Hunters” and “The Right Stuff” are on track to generate a combined $125 million in below-the-line wages and other qualified expenditures.

“It’s great to emerge from the pandemic shutdown with news that two more successful TV series are relocating to California,” said California Film Commission Executive Director Colleen Bell. “Such projects are a primary target for our tax credit program because they bring high-quality jobs and significant in-state spending.”

Based on information provided with their tax credit applications, the two projects will employ an estimated 440 cast members, 374 crew members and 6,056 background actors/stand ins (the latter measured in “man days”) over a combined 195 filming days in California. They will also generate “significant” post-production jobs and revenue for the state’s VFX artists, sound editors, sound mixers, musicians and other workers/vendors as part of their eight-episode seasons.

All 88 planned filming days for “The Right Stuff” are set to occur in the San Diego area, part of the state’s goal to attract series to areas outside Los Angeles. Based on their qualified spending and out-of-zone production, the two relocating series will receive reservations for an estimated $32.5 million in tax credit allocation. The state’s production tax credit program requires recipients to begin production within 180 days.

In 2015, the size of the program was tripled to $330 million annually to compete effectively with New York and Georgia, and it was then extended to 2025 with a credit of up to 25% of qualified expenditures spent in California. Feature film projects that have received credits include “Captain Marvel,” “Bumblebee,” “Captain America,” “Ford v. Ferrari” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Netflix’s action-thriller “Gray Man” starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling, was selected for a $20 million production tax credit allocation in August.

The state’s next tax credit application period for TV projects will take place March 15 – 22, 2021. The next application period for feature films will be Jan. 25 – Feb. 1, 2021.