Hollywood East Rising: Why New Jersey is Winning the Film War Against California
the staff oif the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The “Golden State” is losing its luster, and the “Garden State” is stepping into the spotlight.
As of January 2026, a massive structural shift is rocking the entertainment industry. While California struggles to maintain its grip on Hollywood despite doubling its tax incentives, New Jersey is posting record-breaking growth. New data from FilmLA and industry trackers show that while Los Angeles saw a 16.1% drop in filming days in 2025, New Jersey’s production scene is surging by nearly 75%.
The message is clear: The future of film isn’t just in the hills of California—it’s in the soundstages of the East Coast.
The Tale of the Tape: 2025-2026 Production Stats
While California Governor Gavin Newsom recently expanded the state’s tax credit cap to $750 million, the results suggest that money alone can’t stop “production flight.”
| Metric (Q4 2025) | California (L.A. Area) | New Jersey |
| Shoot Day Growth | -16.1% (Year-over-Year) | +75% (Year-over-Year) |
| Production Spending | $1.35 Billion (Down 22%) | $1.1 Billion (Up 12%) |
| Feature Film Activity | Down 19.7% | Rapidly Expanding |
Why Studios are Choosing the Garden State
New Jersey’s recent success isn’t an accident. It’s the result of a “perfect storm” of aggressive infrastructure building and a competitive 30%–40% tax credit program that recently got a boost to attract “Studio Partners.”
1. The Billion-Dollar Netflix Hub (Fort Monmouth)
Just last week, on January 12, 2026, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos joined Governor Phil Murphy to celebrate the official purchase of the “Mega Parcel” at Fort Monmouth.
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The Investment: $1 Billion.
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The Scale: 12 massive soundstages totaling 500,000 square feet.
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Current Projects: Netflix is already filming two major features in NJ: Here Comes the Flood (starring Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson) and the highly anticipated Happy Gilmore 2.
2. Paramount’s Massive 10-Year Bet (Bayonne)
In late 2025, Paramount (Skydance) signed a landmark 10-year lease at 1888 Studios in Bayonne. This 1.6 million-square-foot campus will be the largest of its kind in the Northeast, featuring 23 “smart” soundstages designed to handle high-tech LED volume capture.
3. Lionsgate’s “Brick City” Takeover (Newark)
Construction is officially underway at Lionsgate Newark. This $125 million, 300,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in 2027, creating over 600 long-term jobs and generating an estimated $800 million in annual economic impact for the city.
The Shift: From “Location” to “Production Base”
For decades, New Jersey was where you went to film a “New York City” street scene for less money. Today, the state is a standalone powerhouse. With a transferable tax credit program extended through 2049, New Jersey is offering the kind of long-term stability that California’s “rolling” credit applications currently lack.
As California faces declining commercial shoots (down 23%) and reality TV slumps, New Jersey is building the literal foundations—concrete and steel—to anchor the industry for the next 30 years.
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