Hollywood studios, unions urge Trump to offer tax breaks

Hollywood studios and unions representing movie workers joined forces on Monday to urge US President Donald Trump to give tax breaks to US-made films.

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The joint letter, which was also signed by Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone — two of Trump's “ambassadors” to Hollywood — comes days after the Republican president said he wanted to impose 100% tariffs on foreign films in a bid to help the domestic industry.

The letter thanks Trump “for the support you have shown our industry”, and for drawing attention to production fleeing overseas.

But it makes no mention of Trump's tariff plan, a proposal that was met with bafflement across the industry, with observers saying they had no idea how such a tax might work.

“Currently, more than 80 countries offer production tax incentives and as a result, numerous productions that could have been shot in America have instead located elsewhere,” says the letter.