EXCLUSIVE: Film studio urges passage of bill to bring movie production home

(The Center Square) – An independent film studio is urging Congress to pass the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, which is intended to incentivize movie production to return to the U.S. and create jobs for Americans. Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, CEO of independent film studio the Wonder Project, wrote to Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson along with other members of Congress to urge passage of the bill. Hoogstraten wrote in the letter – obtained exclusively by The Center Square – that the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act “has earned support from both parties for good reason.” “It's about American jobs, and it's about making sure American stories, including the ones families are asking for, get made in America,” Hoogstraten said. The legislation was introduced by a coalition of bipartisan lawmakers in both the House and Senate “with hopes of bringing the movie and film production industry back home, an occurrence that would protect and create U.S. jobs as well as boost local economies,” The Center Square previously reported . Hoogstraten wrote in her letter that the bill “changes the math” for the industry. “A 20 percent credit for labor performed in the United States brings American crews back onto American sets,” Hoogstraten said. “Added incentives for rural opportunity zones and federally declared disaster areas send that work to the communities that need it most,” Hoogstraten said. “Industry analysis projects about 143,500 full-time-equivalent jobs a year and more than $133 billion in additional labor income from 2027 through 2035,” Hoogstraten said. Hoogstraten said the bill “matters most for independent studios like ours” as independent productions get extra points and the credit can be transferred. The hard part of making its films has been where to make them, Hoogstraten said . The Wonder Project’s movie Young Washington was filmed in Ireland and its series House of David in Greece not because the studio “wanted to leave” the U.S., but because “better incentives overseas made those productions commercially viable,” Hoogstraten said. Hoogstraten noted that in her time working at Netflix and Youtube, she has seen other nations purposefully “compete hard for production,” and stated that “America needs to compete too.” The Wonder Project launched in 2022 with the belief that “faith is an audience, not a genre,” Hoogstraten wrote. The Wonder Project has released three theatrical films – including Young Washington and The Breadwinner – and three series – including House of David. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act in the Senate and was joined by Democrat U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, and Democrat U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran introduced companion legislation in the House and was likewise joined by a group of Republicans and Democrats. Johnson’s office has not yet responded to The Center Square’s request for comment. The Center Square also reached out to Schiff, Moran, Warnock, Cornyn, Scott and Sánchez for comment, some of whom were recipients of Hoogstraten’s letter. Scott's office referred The Center Square to a news release as well as a press conference related to the bill, while Cornyn’s team referred The Center Square to Scott’s office. None of the other officials provided The Center Square with comment. The Wonder Project declined to comment other than sharing its letter with The Center Square.