Streamer rights & tax incentives emerge in Jon Voight draft plan

Further details have emerged of Jon Voight’s plan to revive Hollywood, with an American “cultural test” and rights reverting to producers among ideas being floated.

A draft version of Voight’s plan was revealed on Tuesday evening by US trade Deadline, which the US actor’s producing partner, Steven Paul, said had been created “solely for the purpose of discussion” and had been released without authorisation.

The document refers to a federal tax credit for films, docs and TV series of 10%, which could be added onto existing incentives provided by states such as California.

It would require at least 75% of physical production and post to take part in the US, with shows produced in states without an incentive scheme able to claim a 20% tax credit. A cultural test similar to that employed by the UK is also mentioned. The latter is a points-based scheme that aims to ensure that only shows considered ‘British’ are able to access tax relief.

Voight’s draft plan also includes a tariff-based element, designed to hit US-based productions that could have been produced domestically.

If that is deemed to be the case, the plan suggests placing a 120% charge on the production equal to the foreign incentive received.

Co-production treaties should also be struck, the document suggests. The first deal should be agreed with the UK, it continues, with that “model” used as the basis for similar pacts with other countries.

Producers should also get greater rights protections in deals with streamers, the document adds, with a return of the financial interest and syndication (FINSYN) rules that were ditched more than three decades ago.

Proposals in the draft document would see producers who strike global deals with streamers being paid a minimum guarantee and retaining a non-exclusive license following a period of exclusivity.

If a streamer deal is regional, producers should have “the option to co-own and co-finance the production with the streamer,” the draft proposal states.

Details of Voight’s plan put forward to Donald Trump come as the industry continues to reel from the US president’s threat to place a 100% tariff on films produced outside of the States, with fears that it could also hit high-end TV productions.

A White House rep subsequently said that “no final decisions” had been made on foreign film t­­ariffs and Trump has since rowed back from the remarks, saying that he is “not looking to hurt the industry” and would meet with industry leaders about his next moves.