Local opinion: Paramount-Warner deal could unleash the film future Tucson deserves

We Tucsonans love movies. It’s so much more than hanging out in an air-conditioned public space for a couple of hours — films really matter to us.

It’s why we love to boast about The Loft, the best independent movie theater in the world. It’s why we support not just one but two successful international film festivals each year.

We don’t just love watching movies; we love creating them too. We have a robust film and television program at the University of Arizona, along with hundreds of experienced film production professionals ready to produce the highest quality work in an industry that also boosts our economy.

That’s why I did everything I could as a legislator to attract major studios to our state and region.

That work has borne fruit in recent years. Combining our unmatched diversity of landscapes with our resident film professionals, Arizona is building the kind of production ecosystem that can attract sustained investment. Factor in a refundable state tax credit of 15% to 20% plus additional incentives for the use of resident labor and qualified facilities, and there’s a reason we’re already being called “America’s Backlot.”

Now, our state is set to gain another edge. A major Hollywood studio with connections to Arizona is about to become even more competitive.

Recently, it was announced that the entertainment company Paramount Skydance is seeking to merge with the storied production house Warner Bros. Discovery. Arizona has a strong relationship with Warner Bros. that dates back decades. This working partnership — combined with the additional resources available to Warner Bros. if the merger goes through — will put Arizona in a strong position to attract even more investment.

Especially when you consider how the merger almost turned out.

Originally, Warner Bros. Discovery was looking at merging with Netflix. This would have made Netflix, already the largest streaming service on earth, a powerhouse poised to crush competition across the entertainment industry and refocus on streaming instead of movie theaters. Such a market would have been bad for Arizona in the long run, likely concentrating more economic power in the entertainment capitals of California, New York, and Netflix’s West Coast production hub, our neighbor New Mexico.

By instead merging with Paramount, Warner Bros. will create a powerful competitor. The new company will have the scale and content library to compete with established giants like Netflix. Such competition will benefit Arizona, whose strong incentive structures are designed to attract studios looking to keep costs low.

Tucson has a history of TV and movie production that will help draw would-be investors like Paramount-Warner Bros. Old Tucson has been a filming location for hundreds of classic western films and TV shows since 1940, and could re-establish its leading role once again.

We have an opportunity to give our neighbor to the east a run for its money thanks to the vibrant competition from a Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Washington sees it that way. Some members of Congress have attacked the deal, claiming it will actually set back competition in the entertainment industry.

Not only is the opposite true, such sniping could put the merger, still being reviewed by regulators, at risk. This could endanger the studio spending and sustained industry growth that the new company could bring to Tucson and our state.

The Motion Picture Association has determined that when a movie or TV show shoots on location “it brings jobs, revenue, and related infrastructure development, providing an immediate boost to the local economy.” They estimate that “as much as $1.3 million can be injected into local economies per day when a film shoots on location. In some cases, popular films and television shows can also boost tourism.” There are now popular tours of Breaking Bad locations. Years after production wrapped, Albuquerque is still raking in the cash!

Let’s make sure Tucson’s script has a happy ending. Let’s make sure the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal goes through, and we continue to grow as a player in the entertainment industry.