California’s economy took off with Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick as its wingman, according to new data from the studio. The high-flying feature added over $150 million to the economy when it filmed throughout the state.
Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, said, “When a major motion picture films on location, the local economy soars. Productions like Top Gun: Maverick create jobs and support local businesses, while also highlighting our industry’s proud partnership with the U.S. military, which is particularly fitting as we celebrate Military Appreciation Month and Memorial Day in the coming weeks.”
Lee Rosenthal, president, worldwide physical production, Paramount Pictures. stated, “As filmmakers, we were thrilled to return to some of California’s most iconic locations to film Top Gun: Maverick. We couldn’t imagine filming this sequel anywhere else, and it was all possible because of California’s Film and TV Tax Credit program, the state’s welcoming communities and a phenomenal partnership with the U.S. Navy. During the production of this film, Paramount Pictures created nearly 3,000 jobs throughout the state and added scores of millions to the local economies. We look forward to our continuing partnership and support from the state so that Paramount can continue to produce amazing projects of scale and excitement.”
California Film Commission executive director Colleen Bell said of Top Gun: Maverick, “The film had a very positive impact on our economy, bringing production jobs and spending to regions across the state. In contrast to the 1980s when the first Top Gun was filmed, there is now global competition to host these big-budget projects – and receiving incentives is often the deciding factor. California is fighting back with a uniquely targeted tax credit program, not to mention being home to the best crews, talent, infrastructure, locations, weather and everything else that makes us the world’s entertainment production capital.”
The impact of Top Gun: Maverick’s production includes:
- More than $150 million invested in the local economy.
- More than 2,820 local workers earned wages totaling more than $80 million.
- More than $3.9 million spent on lodging.
- More than $2 million spent on transportation, including truck and car rentals.
- More than $1.4 million spent on catering and other food items.
- More than $1.2 million spent on hardware and lumber supplies.
- More than $6.7 million spent on local rentals and purchases for set decoration, production, and other supplies.
Top Gun: Maverick opens nationwide on May 27.
South Korea fines Meta $15 million for illegally collecting information on Facebook users
South Korea's privacy watchdog on Tuesday fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.
It was the latest in a series of penalties against Meta by South Korean authorities in recent years as they increase their scrutiny of how the company, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, handles private information.
Following a four-year investigation, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission concluded that Meta unlawfully collected sensitive information about around 980,000 Facebook users, including their religion, political views and whether they were in same-sex unions, from July 2018 to March 2022.
It said the company shared the data with around 4,000 advertisers.
South Korea's privacy law provides strict protection for information related to personal beliefs, political views and sexual behavior, and bars companies from processing or using such data without the specific consent of the person involved.
The commission said Meta amassed sensitive information by analyzing the pages the Facebook users liked or the advertisements they clicked on.
The company categorized ads to identify users interested in themes such as specific religions, same-sex and transgender issues, and issues related to North Korean escapees, said Lee Eun Jung, a director at the commission who led the investigation on Meta.
"While Meta collected this sensitive information and used it for individualized services, they made only vague mentions of this use in their data policy and did not obtain specific consent," Lee said.
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