Screenwriter Sascha Penn, a veteran of Hollywood, moved to Carlstadt, N.J., to film Starz’s limited series “Power: Origins.” He joins a growing cohort of productions that now favor New Jersey over traditional hubs. The Garden State’s tax incentive program outperforms rival schemes, prompting studios to shift budgets that once streamed into Los Angeles.

ProdPro reports U.S. film and TV spending dropped 20% last year as studios trimmed streaming slates and outsourced big‑budget shoots to cheaper overseas locales. While the broader market contracts, New Jersey recorded 17 productions with budgets of $10 million or more, delivering almost $1 billion in local spend—about twice the figure logged in 2024.

Netflix and other major studios are now scouting New Jersey sites to tap the 30% tax credit that can reimburse a sizable slice of qualified expenses. The incentive has already drawn high‑budget titles, allowing producers to stretch dollars that would otherwise be eroded by rising production costs elsewhere.

The migration reshapes the domestic production map, turning the Garden State into a fiscal engine for premium content. Investors monitoring studio capex will likely reallocate funding toward New Jersey‑based projects, as the tax structure promises higher returns on spend compared with traditional California locations.