According to #BBC US President Donald Trump says he will hit movies made in foreign countries with 100% tariffs, as he ramps up trade disputes with nations around the world.
Trump said he was authorising the US Department of Commerce and Trade Representative to start the process to impose the levy because America's movie industry was dying "a very fast death".
He blamed a "concerted effort" by other countries that offer incentives to attract filmmakers and studios, which he described as a "National Security threat".
His remarks could spell a "knock-out blow" to the industry, one union warned, where filmmakers have for years left Hollywood for destinations like the UK and Canada in search of lower costs.
Trump said on his "Truth Social Platform"
"WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!"
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded to the announcement, saying "We're on it".
But the details of the move are unclear. Trump's statement did not say whether the tariff would apply to American production companies producing films abroad.
Several recent major movies produced by US studios were shot outside America, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Gladiator II.
It was also unclear if the tariffs would apply to films on streaming services, like Netflix, as well as those shown at cinemas, or how they would be calculated.
The founder of European cinema chain Vue, Timothy Richards, questioned how Trump would define a US film.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "Is it where the money comes from? The script, the director, the talent, where it was shot?"
Mr Richards said the cost of shooting in southern California had grown significantly over the last few decades, prompting filmmakers to move production to locations like the UK, which have increasingly offered tax incentives and lower costs.
"But it's not just the actual financing itself," he added.
"One of reasons UK has done so well is we have some of the most highly experienced and skilled film and production crew in the world.
"The devil will be in the details."
Meanwhile, UK media union Bectu warned the tariffs could "deal a knock-out blow" to the industry and its tens of thousands of freelancers, as it recovered from the pandemic and a "recent slowdown".
Union chief Philippa Childs told the BBC: "The government must move swiftly to defend this vital sector, and support the freelancers who power it, as a matter of essential national economic interest."
The UK government said it was "absolutely committed" to ensuring its film sector continued to thrive and create jobs, and would set out plans to do so in its upcoming Creative Industries Sector Plan.
It added that talks on an economic deal between with the US were ongoing but a "running commentary" on progress was "not in the national interest".
The British Film Institute said it was working closely with the government and industry partners in the UK and the US "while we understand the detail of the proposal".
"We want to keep collaboration at the heart of our sectors, so we remain a constructive partner to our friends in the US and internationally," it said.$BTC