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Ken Ziffren Offers Optimistic View On Industry, Even When It Comes To AI & Federal Tax Credit Legislation
Ken Ziffren offered a more optimistic assessment of Hollywood, saying cinema-going may be recovering after a strong box-office year. He argued that wide releases remain important for keeping audiences in theatres, and backed a proposed federal tax credit that he believes could create production jobs in the United States.
The US box office is projected to reach $10 billion this year, with the global total nearing $36 billion, the strongest results since 2019. Ziffren said the bipartisan MPTER Act could bring $10 billion to the industry; it would cover qualifying film and television productions costing over $1 million, with at least 75% of production in the US. Wide-release films have risen from about 75 in 2024 to 94 this year, though he said studios often lose money on films costing under $70 million, apart from horror.
In short
- Ziffren sees signs of recovery for cinemas.
- US box office could reach $10 billion this year.
- He backs a federal production tax credit.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters could argue that a federal production tax credit tied to substantial US-based work would help bring projects and jobs to the country, while a stronger box office suggests audiences still value cinema. They may also see wide releases as important to building shared cultural events and supporting cinemas beyond a small number of blockbuster titles.
The case against
Critics could question whether a federal tax credit would create enough additional US production to justify its public cost, especially if it subsidised work that would have happened anyway. They may also argue that rising box-office totals and more wide releases do not by themselves show that cinema-going is broadly recovering, or that studios can make lower-budget releases financially sustainable.
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