Donald Trump has announced his plans to revitalize Hollywood by appointing Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone as his Special Ambassadors to the troubled movie-making town of Hollywood, California.
In a post on Truth Social, the President-elect expressed his desire to make Hollywood “bigger, better, and stronger” and compared the revival of the entertainment industry to The Golden Age of Hollywood.
Gibson, Voight, and Stallone have been chosen to help address the challenges faced by the film and television production industry in the U.S. These challenges include setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollywood guild strikes, and the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
With overall production in the U.S. down by 26% from the previous year and productions in the greater Los Angeles area decreasing by 5.6%, there is a pressing need to rejuvenate the industry. Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed expanding California’s Film & Television Tax Credit program to attract more productions to the state.
Voight, expressing his support for Trump’s initiative, stated, “Today, we are in pretty bad shape. Very few films are made here now, but we are fortunate to have an incoming President who wants to restore Hollywood to its former glory.”
While it remains unclear what specific roles Gibson, Voight, and Stallone will play in the effort to bring productions back to the U.S., their involvement signifies Trump’s commitment to revitalizing the entertainment industry in Hollywood.
Trump’s decision to appoint the actors as his chosen “ambassadors” also reflects his nostalgia for the ‘80s and ‘90s, a time when he was a tabloid star in New York and Gibson and Stallone were among the biggest movie stars in the world.
Despite controversies surrounding some of the actors, including Gibson’s past antisemitic remarks and Voight’s outspoken support for Trump, the President-elect is focused on leveraging their star power to reignite the Hollywood spark.
