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Rob Lowe: Hollywood Tax Credits Are a 'Criminal' Oversight
25 Jan
Summary
- Rob Lowe criticizes L.A. tax credits for excluding actor and writer salaries.
- He argues 'above the line' tax credits are crucial for attracting productions.
- Lowe's film 'The Musical' was shot in L.A. due to new independent film incentives.
Actor Rob Lowe has strongly voiced his concerns about film and television production leaving Los Angeles for more affordable locations. He believes it is "criminal" that the state has lost so much of this industry. Lowe pointed out that L.A.'s tax credit system does not account for "above the line" costs, which include salaries for actors, writers, and directors. He insists that until this is addressed, major productions will not return.
Fortunately, new tax incentives for independent features allowed Lowe's latest movie, "The Musical," to be filmed locally. The film, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, is a comedy directed by Giselle Bonilla and written by Alexander Heller. It centers on a teacher who stages an inappropriate school musical out of spite. Lowe shared that the creative process was guided by the idea of "School of Rock" filmed like "Apocalypse Now."
