Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced by mid-April 2026 that the Baywatch television reboot would continue filming on Venice Beach after the city streamlined permit regulations that had halted production. Bass worked with the city council, the state coastal commission, and FilmLA to resolve restrictions that had stopped filming within four days of its February 2026 launch.

The latest incarnation of Baywatch returned to southern California in February 2026 after a hiatus during which the franchise filmed in Hawaii and Georgia. Producers built a new lifeguard station on Venice Beach in preparation for a multi-season reboot and received a $21 million tax credit from the state for the production.

Filming was suspended after the county beaches and harbors department imposed restrictions on camera drones, night shooting, sand usage, and parking. One member of the Baywatch production wrote in an anonymous Instagram post that "Los Angeles is not film friendly."

"For too long, Los Angeles has treated Hollywood as an inconvenience rather than an asset," city council member Nithya Raman said. The Los Angeles city council coordinated permit regulations between agencies to streamline the filming process, and city authorities expedited certification of new soundstages to make them available faster.

The city also waived all fees for microshoots involving small independent productions, and FilmLA announced a six-month pilot program to cover permit costs for low-impact productions.

"We have worked hand in hand with industry partners to make filming in Los Angeles easier and more affordable," Bass said.

Shooting days in the Los Angeles area increased by 10.7% from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026, while shooting days for feature films rose by 45% over the same period. Shooting days in Los Angeles had declined by nearly 50% since 2018.

"We have a long way to go, but after years of decline, Hollywood is finally turning a corner with more productions and more jobs," Bass said. California Governor Gavin Newsom secured $750 million in entertainment-industry tax breaks and incentives from the state legislature in 2025, with 147 projects receiving the state incentives. Denise Gutches, chief executive of FilmLA, said state incentives are driving current increases in production.