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Can We Save Hollywood? CA Republican Steve Hilton Believes He Can

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  May 01, 2026 4:00 PM

The leading Republican candidate for California governor, Steve Hilton, believes it’s possible to save the state’s entertainment industry, which in recent years has appeared to be in decline. Rather than focusing solely on the woke culture that pervades Hollywood, Hilton has pledged to address the industry’s economic challenges. 

By doing so, Hilton would not only protect jobs and help reshape the industry, but also incentivize producers to focus on higher-quality entertainment instead of the political messaging that many Americans dislike today.

"Over 100 years ago, here, we invented the entertainment industry, we invented movies, we invented blockbusters, all of that. This is our home and yet we are allowing it to die because other states in America, other countries are aggressively competing for the work and the jobs that go with it," Hilton said at a press conference Thursday. "And that's the most important thing we got to remember, the jobs that go with the movie and entertainment industry and TV, it's not just the stars that you see on screen, it's everyone behind the scenes, thousands and thousands of jobs, whether that is electricians or set designers and builders, caterers, people who produce flowers, drivers, there's so many jobs that depend on this industry, good working class jobs, union jobs that are disappearing. Over 50,000 lost just recently as this industry moves to other parts of our country and other parts of the world."

"We have to act now," he said. "This is an emergency. We are in a state of emergency when it comes to our entertainment industry in California and here in Los Angeles. And we are going to act to turn it around and bring Hollywood home."

His five-point plan aims to make the industry more competitive through a revised financial incentive structure, rolling back production bureaucracy with a continuous, rolling approval system, and introducing automatic certification within 30 days. He also plans to protect independent and mid-sized productions to ensure greater competition within the industry and incentivize higher-quality content. In addition, he proposes expanding tax credits and increasing support for independent creators.

While his plan focuses primarily on the economic structure of the industry, it has the added effect of shifting incentives within Hollywood, encouraging studios to prioritize productions that audiences want to see rather than what their typical politically driven, virtue-signaling content. 

Hilton remains a leading contender in California’s governor’s race as the primary, now just a month away, approaches rapidly. Republicans in the state are hopeful that a GOP candidate may finally be able to win the governor’s office and chart a new direction, away fromt he Democrt policies that have crippled the iconic state.