‘Michael’ & ‘Friday’ Sequels Among Films To Get California Tax Credits In Latest Funding Round

The California Film Commission on Wednesday revealed 35 feature films that have been selected to receive California tax credits in the most recent round of funding. The list includes the sequel to Michael, Lionsgate’s blockbuster Michael Jackson biopic, as well as New Line’s Friday sequel Last Friday and a new project from indie filmmaker Mike Mills. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the recipients in a press release, which noted that the new slate of productions is expected to bring in $1.08 billion in California spend and involve almost 30,000 cast, crew and background jobs. Among the 35 films on today’s list (see it below) includes new untitled movies by Disney, a 20th Century horror pic, a Paramount crime thriller and a Warner Bros comedy. A new untitled Pixar project has scored the biggest credit haul of the bunch with $40.1 million, followed by Michael 2 with $30.8 million. Watch on Deadline California Film Commission Of the pics, 28 are indie productions, which has been a focus of the expanded program; eight indies have budgets over $10 million, and 20 have budgets of less than $10 million. In August, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson said the studio’s anticipated Michael sequel was “targeting a production start towards the end of this year or early next.” The first pic, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson in the coming-of-age, SoCal-set story of the King of Pop, grossed $1.028 billion at the global box office. RELATED: 25 Music Biopics About Michael, Whitney, Elvis, Tina, Elton, Queen & More, Plus Where To Stream Them Ice Cube, meanwhile, inked a deal with Warner Bros and New Line Cinema in spring 2025 for Last Friday, the fourth entry in his L.A.-set comedy franchise that includes Friday (1995), Next Friday (2000) and Friday After Next (2002). “I’m thrilled to produce Last Friday right here in Southern California, where our cast and crew lives,” said Ice Cub, who wrote and is producing and starring in the fourthquel, in today’s release. “This story has been part of the fabric of South Los Angeles since our first film 31 years ago, so producing the film here with more than 180 local cast and crew underscores the value of the California production incentive program. We’re thankful for the opportunity to stay local.” Today’s reveal comes amid an expansion of the state’s film and television tax credit program that included launching a post-production credit and creating guidelines around AI usage. Film and TV production has become a hot-button topic in California and Hollywood amid industry contractions and runaway production both to other states and abroad, shrinking shoot days and wrecking havoc on workers. Last month, Congress introduced the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, designed to lure productions back to the states via a 20% federal tax credit on domestic labor costs. Backers are hoping to fast-track the bill before year’s end. “What makes this latest round so exciting is the mix of independent filmmaking and iconic stories that are part of California’s cultural legacy,” California Film Commission director Colleen Bell said. “From an emerging filmmaker bringing an ambitious new vision to life to the return of beloved franchises like Last Friday, Clueless and The Rockford Files, these are stories with deep roots in California. Through our tax credit program, we’re helping bring these stories to the screen while keeping the jobs, investment, and production that bring them to life right here in California.” Since July 2025, 179 earmarked projects have generated $7.2 billion in California production spending, including $4.7 billion in qualified expenditures and $2.87 billion in qualified wages, according to the commission. That supported almost 38,000 cast and crew jobs and 237,000 background performers measured in days worked.