Aussie A-lister Chris Hemsworth’s telling response to question about Donald Trump’s movie tariffs
Trump has threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on foreign-made films, which would derail Hollywood’s global business model.
Aussie A-lister Chris Hemsworth has dodged a question about Donald Trump’s announcement that he will impose a 100 per cent tariff on all films produced outside the US.
Trump first floated the idea in May this year and repeated it this week, threatening to derail Hollywood’s global business model.
The move signals Trump’s willingness to extend protectionist trade policies into cultural industries, raising uncertainty for studios that depend heavily on cross-border productions.
It could also impact international box office revenue.
On Thursday, Hollywood star Hemsworth was asked about the tariffs.
“What do you think about Trump’s movie tariffs?” a 7NEWS reporter asked.
Hemsworth appeared to get shy as he quickly made his way into his van.
“Oh, well. Yeah,” he said, nervously laughing.
The Aussie megastar is currently filming Subversion on the Gold Coast, a production with Amazon MGM Studios packed with international stars including Joe Cole, Lily James and Simone Kessell.
Films stars are yet to speak on the US president’s possible directive.
“Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing candy from a baby,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
However, it was not immediately clear what legal authority Trump would use to impose a 100 per cent tariff on foreign-made films.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on how the tariffs would be implemented.
Top US studios Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Skydance and Netflix also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Comcast also declined to comment.
A coalition of American film unions and guilds sent a letter to Trump, urging him to support tax incentives for domestic film production in a reconciliation package being drafted in Congress, aiming to help return more film and TV projects to the US.
The US film industry recorded a $US15.3 billion ($A23.3 billion) trade surplus in 2023, backed by $US22.6 billion in exports to international markets, according to the Motion Picture Association.
Studio executives told Reuters earlier this year they were “flummoxed” by how a movie tariff might be enforced, given that modern films often use production, financing, post-production and visual effects spread across multiple countries.
Hollywood has increasingly relied on overseas production hubs such as Canada, the UK and Australia, where tax incentives have attracted big-budget shoots for productions ranging from superhero blockbusters to streaming dramas.
At the same time, co-productions with foreign studios have become more common, particularly in Asia and Europe, where local partners provide financing, access to markets and distribution networks.
Industry executives also warn that a broad tariff could affect the thousands of US workers employed on overseas shoots, from visual effects artists to production crews, whose work is often coordinated across multiple countries.
– With AAP