California Awards Tax Credits to ‘Michael’ Biopic, ‘Friday’ Sequel and 22 Other Productions

California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program has issued its latest round of allocations, with the Michael Jackson biopic Michael and a new Friday sequel among the productions receiving state funding.

The credits come through California’s competitive Program 3.0, which offers a 20–25% transferable tax credit on qualified expenditures for features and TV projects that shoot in-state. For crew working in Southern California, these allocations are a direct indicator of which productions are moving toward active prep and principal photography in the state.

Productions awarded credits are required to meet California’s below-the-line labor spend thresholds to qualify, meaning jobs for local crew are a built-in condition of the incentive — not an afterthought.

The full list of awarded productions from this funding round has not been detailed in available sourcing, but Michael (the Universal/Lionsgate Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua) and the Friday sequel are confirmed recipients. Producers on projects in development should note that California’s program is currently operating under Program 3.0 guidelines; a potential expansion or successor program has been discussed in the state legislature but is not yet enacted.

For location scouts, production coordinators, and department heads in California: watch these titles for crew calls in coming months. Tax credit allocation typically precedes active hiring by 60–120 days.