Michael O’Leary, CEO of Cinema United — the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 31,000 movie screens in all 50 states — is praising President Donald Trump’s recent announcement about instituting a tariff on foreign film imports. O’Leary says he is prepared to consult with the White House and Congress to help the industry regain its footing in America.
“It is important to recognize that theatrical exhibition is not a Hollywood industry, but a Main Street industry,” O’Leary said, according to The Wrap.
O’Leary added that his organization is “encouraged by recent efforts to bolster the American filmed entertainment industry,” and he notes that the film industry is as important to local communities as it is to Los Angeles.
“We are encouraged by recent efforts to bolster the American filmed entertainment industry, including proposals to assist the people who operate theatres in towns of all sizes across the country to create the great movie houses of the next generation. It is important to recognize that theatrical exhibition is not a Hollywood industry, but a Main Street industry, and proposals that support and promote the hard work being done by theatre owners will have a positive and meaningful impact in communities across this nation,” O’Leary said in his statement.
“We are committed to working with the administration, Congress and all interested parties who recognize and share the goal of ensuring that our local theatres retain both their economic and cultural significance, and we thank them for their leadership,” he concluded.
The CEO’s statement comes after President Trump floated the idea of placing a tariff on foreign-made films in an attempt to bolster the U.S. film industry which Trump said is “dying a very fast death” as films and TV projects flee California for locations in other countries.
Recent reports indicate that cinema chains in the U.S. have faced steep losses since the COVID lockdowns shuttered so many of them across the nation. Last year, for instance, AMC Theaters lost $163.5 million during this same quarter. This year, that number climbed to a $202.1 million loss, Breitbart News reported.
Hollywood itself has also been on the losing end of economic winds. Film and TV productions continue to flee California en masse thanks to the high taxes and unfavorable working conditions for their productions, and nothing Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom can do seems to be stopping the exodus.
Locations in the U.S. outside California have been the happy recipient of an increasing number of entertainment productions as Las Vegas, Chicago, and the states of Georgia and New Mexico, among many others, have benefited greatly from the influx of filmmakers. But productions outside the U.S. have also been reaping the rewards. Filmmakers and TV producers have streamed to Australia, Ireland, Hungary, and a growing list of other countries. Meanwhile, the industry’s footprint in Los Angeles continues to dwindle.
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