Ben Affleck had a thing or two to say about the flight of film and television productions from Los Angeles.
Production has migrated from L.A. and California because other states and countries offer a better tax incentive for them to film there.
‘I think part of the problem with California is they came to take this industry for granted a little bit,’ Affleck said in an interview with the Associated Press on the red carpet of the premiere of The Accountant 2.
The Batman star, 52, mentioned that California Governor Gavin Newsom was increasing the cap on tax incentives to keep filming in state – but he doesn’t think that alone will be enough help.
‘The percentage you get back in terms of actual budget doesn’t compete with places like England, which is why you see a lot of these big, huge movies shoot in the U.K.,’ Affleck said.
The Good Will Hunting star also said that great incentives from Georgia, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas, Massachusetts and New Jersey have driven production to those states in search of cost savings.
Ben Affleck had a thing or two to say about the flight of film and television productions from Los Angeles. Seen here at the premiere of The Accountant on April 16, 2025
Georgia and New Mexico are particularly attractive to budgets as they have no annual cap on their incentives programs.
Affleck also pointed out that losing film crews as they migrate out of California to where the productions that employ them are happening is another big problem in the film and television industry.
‘It’s really the technicians and the crew that make or break your movie,’ he said.
‘You need the best people, you need good people. I, as a director, know that to be true. And so if people move away, you know, that really hurts the industry.’
Rob Lowe recently commented on the cost of producing a show in Los Angeles versus Ireland, where his game show The Floor films.
‘It’s cheaper to bring one hundred American people to Ireland than to walk across the lot at Fox, past the sound stages, and do it there,’ Lowe said.
Affleck, for what it’s worth, has filmed at least part of his latest two films, The Accountant and Animal in and around L.A.
The flight of production away from L.A. has set off a movement, called Stay in L.A., to keep production in its historic home.
Production has migrated from L.A. and California because other states and countries offer a better tax incentive for them to film there
‘I think part of the problem with California is they came to take this industry for granted a little bit,’ Affleck said in an interview with the Associated Press. Seen here in 2025
The Batman star, 52, mentioned that California is increasing the cap on tax incentives to keep filming in state – but he doesn’t think that alone will be enough help. Seen with Jon Bernthal in 2025
‘The percentage you get back in terms of actual budget doesn’t compete with places like England, which is why you see a lot of these big, huge movies shoot in the U.K.,’ Affleck said
In another interview with GQ, Affleck revealed who the real villain of Batman was – his bat suit.
‘I hated the batsuits. The batsuits are horrendous to wear,’ Affleck said.
‘They’re incredibly hot, for one thing. They don’t breathe. They’re made to look the way they want ‘em to look, and there’s no thought put into the human being.’
The Gigli star said, as a result, you just start sweating’ from the moment you put on the batsuit.
‘Now I’m already — I sweat, you know what I mean? I get hot,’ he explained.
‘And so in that thing, you would just be pouring water because it’s got the cowl over it. Like, there’s one thing to wear the suit, but once you cover your head, I guess that’s where all your heat kind of escapes and you feel it.’
And he wasn’t the only one who felt that way about the batsuit.
‘Even the most highly-trained, much more fit stunt guys, the parkour guys, the action guys, they could do that for about like 45, 50 minutes and then they’re like gonna get heat stroke,’ he said.
Jennifer Lopez, Affleck, Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2024
‘So you had to come out of it. And that was really the thing was that it just made it difficult to make the movie because it was so hot.’
And it often didn’t make the person in the suit feel very much like a superhero.
‘And it also does not make you feel very heroic because you’re instantly exhausted and really sweaty and kinda trying to hide like, the sweat pouring down your face.
‘Like, “No, we can go again, I’m fine, I’m good,”‘ he said while pretending to wipe sweat from his brow. ‘And then there’ll be like — eye black is like, running.’
