Hollywood Chamber of Commerce hopes to boost film industry after uptick in moviegoers
With the backdrop of the iconic Hollywood sign, the mood for the annual Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Awards is celebratory.
"Tonight is really an opportunity to express the movement of Hollywood," Chamber Chair Jerry Neuman said.
Neuman said there is a lot to be excited about.
"I say we see it all the time, golden age went, and it came back," Neuman said. "The reality is that the industry has to evolve and change."
Neuman's excitement comes as 23% more people went to the movie theaters in the first three months of 2026 compared to the same time last year, the strongest jump since the pandemic.
"I get really excited for Amazon, MGM Studios and people back in the back office, going to the movie," Senior Vice Chair London Kemp Boykin said. "Also, it tells you what the opportunity is to revitalize production right here at home."
Fueling the rise in the box office are hit films like "Project Hail Mary" and Super Mario Galaxy. There's also excitement building for upcoming releases like Star Wars and Toy Story 5.
"We are going to do everything we can to roll out the red carpet for Hollywood," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.
Bass said she wants to cut production costs and make it easier to film in LA.
"Hollywood is Hollywood," she said. "It's the symbol for the entire world."
Since the pandemic, the city's film industry has faced an economic downturn.
"It's been generationally bad over the last few years," MBS Group studio executive Jason Hariton said.
The business side of the industry, including the MBS Group, the world's largest studio operator, believes the momentum must continue.
"The silver lining is that we see positive momentum," Hariton said. "We see production activity increasing, more tax incentives given out."
The studios hope to revive Hollywood and bring it back to the top of the entertainment world.
"We did make mistakes over the years and we did do a course correction," Framework owner Kobi Danan said.
