Latest news with #SPMediaGroup
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Steven Paul's SP Media Group Acquires Avenue Six Studios to Boost Local Film Production in Hollywood
The Landmark Studio is to Serve as a New Base for Film Production as SP Media Group Ramps Up U.S.-Based Output LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SP Media Group, a production and entertainment company led by veteran producer Steven Paul, announced today the acquisition of Avenue Six Studios, a premier production facility in Van Nuys, California. Founded by Paul Reitzen in 2009, the studio features four fully equipped sound stages, a backlot modeled after a New York City street, and has produced numerous films, commercials, and television shows, including talk shows for Oprah Winfrey and Marie Osmond. "We're committed to making films in Hollywood and making Avenue Six Studios the most producer-friendly studio for filmmakers from around the world," said Paul. "I currently have three productions slated for the studio this year and look forward to welcoming more projects to take advantage of its production capabilities." "Avenue Six is a versatile production studio perfectly suited to accommodate an array of creative visions," said Scott Karol, President of SP Media Group/Atlas Comics. "The studios will be used primarily for film and television production, while its smaller sound stages will be used for branded content, music videos, photography, social media campaigns, podcasts, workshops, and industry events." Future developments to the facility will include the integration of an LED virtual production stage to create immersive visual environments in real time, and a post-production facility, including editing suites and audio facilities, to offer a full-service, end-to-end production environment. This acquisition follows the successful relaunch of Atlas Comics, which under Paul's leadership is developing a slate of film and TV properties, led by the upcoming live-action feature Devilina in partnership with Paramount Pictures. "Avenue Six has always stood apart as a certified stage, saving clients time and money by eliminating permit requirements," said Paul Reitzin, founder of Avenue Six Studios. "With access to props, sets, lighting, equipment and our New York-style backlot, we've proudly served as a one-stop shop for nearly a decade." Steven Paul, who serves as Special Advisor to Hollywood Ambassador Jon Voight, recently submitted a proposal to President Trump on how to increase U.S.-based film and television production. The plan, which includes federal tax incentives, co-production treaties, job training, and infrastructure subsidies, is currently under review by the White House. Paul has recently collaborated with Voight on a series of films, including Man with No Past, High Ground, and The Last Gunfight, and has several new titles now in development or production. "I've been filming in Los Angeles since I was twelve years old, when I first played a lead in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s, Happy Birthday, Wanda June for Columbia Pictures, and I'm thrilled at what's possible now that we have our own studio," said Paul. About Steven Paul Steven Paul is a leading independent film producer and chairman/CEO of SP MEDIA GROUP [SPMG] based on the Paramount lot in Hollywood, CA. SPMG maintains a co-financing agreement with Paramount Pictures to co-produce feature films and has financed and produced over twenty motion pictures in the past three years. Paul, who has a substantial real estate portfolio, including the Samuel Goldwyn building in Century City and a hotel in Miami, recently acquired the Atlas Comics library, founded by Marvel Comics founder Martin Goodman. Atlas Comics relaunched at New York Comin Con in October in partnership with Walmart, while also celebrating its 50th anniversary. Paul is also the owner of leading independent distributor Echo Bridge, and recently acquired a substantial stake in JLTV – the largest Jewish network in the world, available in more than 65m households in North America. SPMG has a library of more than 3,000 films through its affiliated companies and supplies content to leading AVOD platforms like Pluto TV and more. Press Contact: Rubenstein Public RelationsKevin PryorEmail: kpryor@ (212) 805-3057 View original content: SOURCE SP Media Group, LLC
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
President Trump's Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight rolls out proposal to 'Make Hollywood Great Again'
Jon Voight and President Donald Trump want to "Make Hollywood Great Again." Voight, along with special advisor Steven Paul, submitted a "comprehensive plan" to the president to save the film and television industry. The "Ray Donovan" actor, 86, was named in January as a special ambassador by Trump for the purpose of "bringing Hollywood" back. Trump Names Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson And Jon Voight As Special Ambassadors Voight and Paul met with "dozens of leading film and television organizations (guilds, unions, studios and streamers) about what changes need to be made to increase domestic film production," according to a statement. The meeting was conducted in person with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida and included SP Media Group/Atlas Comics President Scott Karol. Read On The Fox News App "The proposal includes federal tax incentives, significant changes to several tax codes, the establishment of co-production treaties with foreign countries, and infrastructure subsidies for theater owners, film and television production companies, and post-production companies," the statement said. "The proposal also includes a focus on job training, and tariffs in certain limited circumstances." Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News "The President loves the entertainment business and this country, and he will help us make Hollywood great again," Voight said. "The American film industry, and Hollywood, is a beacon for teaching the American Dream to the world and is an engine for job growth and career opportunity," said Paul. "It's essential that we preserve America's leadership in film and television production." He added, "We look forward to working with the administration, the unions, studios, and streamers to help form a plan to keep our industry healthy and bring more productions back to America. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter "By creating the right environment through smart incentives, updated policies, and much-needed support, we can ensure that American production companies thrive, more jobs stay here at home, and Hollywood once again leads the world in creativity and innovation." "We've spent months meeting with top leaders across the film and television industry, and there is broad agreement that runaway production has become a serious issue that needs to be addressed now," Karol said. "This plan is about leveling the playing field so that producing right here in America is not only a competitive option, but the first choice." The White House and its relevant policy advisors are in the process of reviewing the proposal. Trump announced in January that Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone would work closely with his administration as special envoys. "It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!" He added, "These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!" In a Truth Social post shared Sunday, Trump said he would begin implementing a Hollywood-related tariff to support filmmaking in the states. "Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States," Trump claimed. "Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated." The Republican said his plans to institute a tariff are in the works, and he authorized the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative "to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands."Original article source: President Trump's Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight rolls out proposal to 'Make Hollywood Great Again'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jon Voight's Pitch to President Trump on Fixing Hollywood Only Includes Tariffs in ‘Certain Limited Circumstances'
Actor Jon Voight met with President Donald Trump over the weekend in Mar-a-Lago to formally pitch his plans on how to bring production back stateside, and tariffs are only a small part of that plan. Voight along with his manager and producer Steven Paul and SP Media Group and Atlas Comics President Scott Karol submitted a comprehensive plan to President Trump after several months of meeting with several dozen film and TV organizations and leaders across Hollywood about how to increase domestic film production. More from IndieWire IATSE Is 'Engaging' with Trump Administration After Movie Tariff Announcement The American Pavilion Announces 2025 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes Per a release, the proposal includes 'federal tax incentives, significant changes to several tax codes, the establishment of co-production treaties with foreign countries, and infrastructure subsidies for theater owners, film and television production companies, and post-production companies.' But in addition to saying Voight's proposal has a focus on job training, it also only suggests 'tariffs in certain limited circumstances.' That would seem to go against the announcement that sent the entire industry into a tizzy after Trump announced 100 percent tariffs on any movies made in 'foreign lands,' which left a lot more questions than it answered. However, Trump on Monday told reporters that he intends to meet with Hollywood leaders himself and wants to help Hollywood, not harm it. 'The President loves the entertainment business and this country, and he will help us make Hollywood great again,' Voight said in a statement. The White House and its relevant policy advisors are reviewing the proposal. Voight continued: 'We look forward to working with the administration, the unions, studios, and streamers to help form a plan to keep our industry healthy and bring more productions back to America. By creating the right environment through smart incentives, updated policies, and much-needed support, we can ensure that American production companies thrive, more jobs stay here at home, and Hollywood once again leads the world in creativity and innovation.' Voight was named a special ambassador alongside Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone back in January, but Monday's announcement is the first time any plans or policy suggestions have been proposed, and Stallone and Gibson have yet to comment on the matter and have not appeared to take meetings across town. Hollywood's labor unions have also begun weighing in on Trump's tariff proposal, with IATSE echoing Voight's call for a federal tax incentive. While individual states have their own tax incentives and rebates to help productions, they're competing against other countries with their own aggressive incentives, and the U.S. doesn't have a comparable equivalent. The suggestion of subsidies for theater owners, production companies, and post-production houses is also a new detail that has yet to be reported and could go a long way in helping keep jobs stateside. And opening up co-productions could be beneficial given the number of projects that shoot in multiple locations, though it's unclear what involving the federal government in any film project would do for the movies. 'The American film industry, and Hollywood, is a beacon for teaching the American Dream to the world and is an engine for job growth and career opportunity,' said Paul. 'It's essential that we preserve America's leadership in film and television production'. 'We've spent months meeting with top leaders across the film and television industry, and there is broad agreement that runaway production has become a serious issue that needs to be addressed now,' said Karol. 'This plan is about leveling the playing field so that producing right here in America is not only a competitive option, but the first choice.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
New York Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Trump Called for Movie Tariffs After a Meeting With Jon Voight
President Trump's call to impose steep tariffs on movies 'produced in Foreign Lands' came after he met at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend with the actor Jon Voight, whom he named a 'special ambassador' to Hollywood this year. The president's social media post on Sunday that called for a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the United States caused confusion in Hollywood, which has lost a great deal of local film and television production to states and nations that offer rich tax credits and cheaper labor. While few in the industry said that they understood Mr. Trump's proposal, some worried that tariffs could cause more harm than good and called instead for federal help in the form of tax credits. Mr. Voight and Steven Paul, his longtime manager, met with Mr. Trump over the weekend and shared their plans to increase domestic film production, according to a statement from SP Media Group, Mr. Paul's firm. They suggested federal tax incentives, changes to the tax code, co-production treaties with other nations and infrastructure subsidies, the statement said. The proposal also included 'tariffs in certain limited circumstances,' the statement said, adding that it was under review. Mr. Voight made the rounds of Hollywood last week, meeting with the Motion Picture Association, Hollywood's top lobbying group; various unions; and the state representatives who are pushing bills to increase state tax credits for the film and television industries. State Senator Ben Allen, Democrat of Los Angeles, met with the actor to discuss how to increase production in the state, a representative said. Much about Mr. Trump's effort remains unclear. What kinds of movies, exactly, would face tariffs? Would tariffs apply only to movies receiving tax incentives from foreign countries — or to any movie with scenes shot overseas? What about foreign films? Or postproduction visual effects work? Amid those and many other questions, several analysts said it was highly unlikely that a 100 percent tariff on all movies made overseas would materialize. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
President Trump's Hollywood Ambassador Jon Voight rolls out proposal to 'Make Hollywood Great Again'
Jon Voight and President Donald Trump want to "Make Hollywood Great Again." Voight, along with his special advisor Steven Paul, submitted a "comprehensive plan" to the president to save the film and television industry. The "Ray Donovan" actor, 86, was named in January as a special ambassador by Trump for the purpose of "bringing Hollywood" back. Voight and Paul met with "dozens of leading film and television organizations (guilds, unions, studios and streamers) about what changes need to be made to increase domestic film production," according to a statement. The meeting was conducted in person with Trump at his Mar-A-Lago estate, and included SP Media Group/Atlas Comics President Scott Karol. "The proposal includes federal tax incentives, significant changes to several tax codes, the establishment of co-production treaties with foreign countries, and infrastructure subsidies for theater owners, film and television production companies, and post-production companies," the statement said. "The proposal also includes a focus on job training, and tariffs in certain limited circumstances." "The President loves the entertainment business and this country, and he will help us make Hollywood great again," Voight said. "The American film industry, and Hollywood, is a beacon for teaching the American Dream to the world and is an engine for job growth and career opportunity," said Paul. "It's essential that we preserve America's leadership in film and television production." He added, "We look forward to working with the administration, the unions, studios, and streamers to help form a plan to keep our industry healthy and bring more productions back to America. "By creating the right environment through smart incentives, updated policies, and much-needed support, we can ensure that American production companies thrive, more jobs stay here at home, and Hollywood once again leads the world in creativity and innovation." "We've spent months meeting with top leaders across the film and television industry, and there is broad agreement that runaway production has become a serious issue that needs to be addressed now," Karol said. "This plan is about leveling the playing field so that producing right here in America is not only a competitive option, but the first choice." The White House and its relevant policy advisors are in the process of reviewing the proposal.
