Hollywood is crashing — Could Las Vegas be the next entertainment capital?

By Chuck Muth

Nevada News and Views

For decades, Los Angeles has been the beating heart of America’s entertainment industry.

But today, Hollywood looks less like a glamorous dream factory and more like a cautionary tale.

And if Nevada lawmakers play their cards right, Las Vegas could be the big winner.

Hollywood Is Running Out of Magic

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Los Angeles’ once-mighty entertainment economy is in free fall.

Jobs are drying up, businesses are closing, and thousands of middle-class workers who kept the industry running — camera operators, animators, set builders — are struggling to stay afloat.

The numbers are grim.

In 2022, Los Angeles County had about 142,000 people working in motion pictures.

By the end of 2024, that number had dropped to around 100,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That’s a loss of more than 40,000 jobs in just two years.

And it’s not just the workers who are hurting.

Local shops that once thrived off studio business — everything from costume rental houses to cookie bakeries — are shutting down.

Even seasoned pros with decades in the industry, like production manager Pixie Wespiser and Oscar-winning sound engineer Thomas Curley, are out of work and wondering if Hollywood will ever recover.

California politicians are trying to patch the hole with bigger tax credits, but producers say it’s too little, too late.

The reality is that costs in Los Angeles are sky-high, crime and homelessness are out of control, and union fights have made the city unpredictable for businesses.

In short, Hollywood doesn’t look like a safe bet anymore.

Nevada’s Golden Opportunity

Here’s where Nevada comes in.

Lawmakers in Carson City are considering a plan to build a brand-new film studio complex in Las Vegas.

If approved, it could create thousands of jobs and give Nevada a chance to compete with places like Georgia, New Mexico, and even Canada — regions that have been scooping up productions fleeing California’s chaos.

Think about it:

Las Vegas already has a worldwide reputation, modern infrastructure, and plenty of hotel rooms to house cast and crew.

Add a state-of-the-art studio plus some smart tax incentives, and suddenly Nevada looks like a prime location for TV shows, movies, and streaming projects.

A Nevada studio could also help diversify the state’s economy.

Right now, tourism dominates, which means when the Strip slows down, the whole state feels it. But a growing film industry would spread the risk.

More importantly, it would give Nevadans new career paths that don’t depend on blackjack tables or slot machines.

What Critics Say

Not everyone is sold.

Some opponents argue that tax incentives for film productions amount to government “giveaways” and question whether the jobs created will be permanent.

Others worry that Nevada could face the same problems California has — skyrocketing costs, labor disputes, and reliance on a fickle industry.

Fair points. But here’s the difference: Nevada doesn’t need to replace Hollywood; it only needs to grab a slice of the business.

Even a fraction of the projects leaving California would mean huge wins for our economy.

And unlike California, Nevada has a chance to build this industry from the ground up, without decades of bad policies dragging it down.

The Bottom Line

Los Angeles is struggling, and many in the entertainment world are packing up and leaving. If Nevada leaders are bold, they can turn California’s failure into Nevada’s success.

A new studio in Las Vegas would not just bring jobs; it would plant the seed for a whole new industry in our state.

Hollywood may be running out of magic, but Nevada’s story could be just beginning.

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Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, founder of CampaignDoctor.com, and publisher of Nevada News & Views. His views are his own. He can be reached at chuck@chuckmuth.com.