The latest incarnation of Baywatch, lured back to Los Angeles after years of filming elsewhere, was forced to halt production within days due to unexpected regulatory restrictions. The producers, who had built a new lifeguard station on Venice Beach, found themselves unable to use camera drones or shoot at night, despite a $21m state tax credit.
The ensuing controversy became a flashpoint in the LA mayoral election, with challengers from both sides blaming Mayor Karen Bass for what they called a hostile environment for filmmaking. Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star running as a right-wing candidate, decried “political fecklessness”, while city council member Nithya Raman, challenging from the left, highlighted a near-50% drop in shooting days since 2018.
Mayor Bass responded swiftly, working with city council, the state coastal commission and FilmLA to resolve the issue. By mid-April, Baywatch was staying, and Bass promised to “clear bureaucratic barriers” to make filming easier and more affordable. She and the council then took steps to coordinate permit regulations, speed up soundstage certification, and waive all fees for “microshoots”—small independent productions.
FilmLA also launched a six-month pilot programme to cover permit costs for low-impact productions. By the end of April, Bass was buoyed by new data showing a 10.7% increase in shooting days from the last quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026, the first significant uptick since the pandemic.
