Los Angeles might be the film capital of the world but costly regulations and red tape have been pushing productions to other states and countries, with even the iconic Baywatch reboot nearly falling victim to it.
When an upcoming reboot for the hit 1990s lifeguard drama Baywatch was announced, Los Angeles and California officials celebrated it as a triumphant return to a time when principal photography dominated the City of Angels. However, as production got underway, the city and state’s regulatory red tape became readily apparent and nearly forced the show out of Los Angeles, per Variety.
Like an endangered pelican reintroduced to its native habitat, the Fox reboot was hailed as a triumph for the industry’s hometown, which is suffering through a long slide in production activity. Gov. Gavin Newsom bragged that the show was back “where it belongs,” at a cost to the state of $21 million.
Soon, however, the producers ran into obstacles. Officials from the county Beaches and Harbors Department and the California Coastal Commission told them they couldn’t park their trucks overnight, light fires or drive on the sand.
“We’re a lifeguard show,” “Baywatch” co-creator Greg Bonann remembers saying. “What do you mean we can’t drive a truck on the beach?”
The hurdles became so costly that elected leaders were then called to Fox Studios to work out a deal.
“After a while, you have to sit down with the right people and say, ‘Guys, do we want to have this show here or not?’” Bonann said.
The issue even took center-stage at the Los Angeles mayoral debate in May, with Councilmember Nithya Raman accusing Bass of putting in place too much red tape.
“That’s what happened in ‘Baywatch,’” she said. “The city and county weren’t talking to each other.”
For the past three decades, Los Angeles has steadily been bleeding production jobs to other states and countries offering far better tax incentives and labor grants. Since 2022, for instance, America has lost 73,000 production jobs; two-thirds of them being from Los Angeles.