Mayor Karen Bass and CD11 City Councilor Traci Park are working with L.A. County Supervisor to loosen obstacles that sent the series to Redondo Beach this week <\/p>\n
Late last month, Venetians and city officials celebrated<\/a> a win for the waning Hollywood entertainment industry as a reboot of the hit television series Baywatch began filming at the historic Venice Lifeguard Station<\/a> with plans to bring a reboot of the beach drama to Fox.<\/p>\n\n But after only two days of shooting, Los Angeles County officials told the production crews that they were \u201cnot welcome back\u201d to shoot on Venice Beach, according to a post from an industry insider on Instagram. The anonymous Baywatch insider\u2019s missive references the \u201ccostly barriers\u201d that led actors to move their production to Redondo Beach this week. <\/p>\n When actors slipped on the iconic red bathing suit made famous by Pamela Anderson to run across the sand for an adrenaline-fueled rescue on the shore, the scenes were shot in Redondo Beach instead of Venice, leading the post to end with: \u201cLos Angeles is not film friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n A large production like Baywatch filming in L.A., where the entertainment industry has cratered by a staggering 30% since 2022 had given hope to actors, crew members, and creatives who are struggling to find work as Hollywood continues to hemorrhage jobs to cheaper overseas locales.<\/p>\n Last week, the Wall Street Journal<\/a> published a story on the dire outlook for the Hollywood industry and the trickle-down effect the job losses are having on Los Angeles, with the latest census showing a mass exodus<\/a>. California leads the nation for states people are leaving, according to the latest numbers.<\/p>\n In late March, actor Noah Wyle from HBO\u2019s The Pitt testified at a hearing held by Senator Adam Schiff in Burbank, telling lawmakers that 42,000 motion picture and television jobs have left Los Angeles between 2022 and 2024, and the free fall is continuing into 2026. \u201cAs an Angeleno with generational roots to this city and as a seasoned member of its creative community, advocacy for Los Angeles-based production is something that is very close to my heart,\u201d Wyle said. <\/p>\n Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n Wyle noted that tax incentives \u2013 like the $21 million credit awarded to Baywatch \u2013 are the key to keeping Hollywood in Hollywood. \u201cIt is vital to the strength of the industry and city to support these incentives. It\u2019s an investment in the city\u2019s most precious commodity and asset. It\u2019s an investment in its people.\u201d<\/p>\n Gov. Gavin Newsom heard the rally cry. That same week, he announced a significant expansion of the\u00a0California Film & Television Tax Credit Program<\/a> to include incentives for animation and competitive series shot in the state.<\/p>\n Still, the Baywatch upheaval, City Hall sources say, has created tensions between Mayor Karen Bass, who worked alongside CD11 City Councilor Traci Park to bring the show to Venice Beach, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath<\/a>, whose sprawling district includes Venice. The county runs beaches and harbors, and its officials are being blamed for putting the arduous restrictions on the Baywatch crews, which include prohibitions on night shoots and impossible zoning issues on the beach. Horvath\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n