Haunting Tariff Talk from the White House Shocks Global Film Industry

In a move that could have massive ripple effects across Hollywood—and even the world of Disney—President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the United States. This haunting tariff talk has sparked immediate concern throughout the film industry. 

Thunderbolts on location Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Marvel Studios

Here at MickeyBlog, we’re even wondering what the impact could be among studios like Disney, which often film and animate parts of their blockbusters overseas.

Could Tariffs Put the Magic at Risk?

While Disney may be known for creating “the most magical place on Earth,” much of that movie magic is made around the globe. Several of Disney’s biggest franchises—including Marvel, Star Wars, and live-action reimaginings—have filmed large portions overseas:

Thor: Dark World filmed near Reykjavik and the beautiful Skógafoss Waterfall. Photo: Marvel Studios

• Marvel Cinematic Universe: Films like Avengers: Age of Ultron (South Korea, South Africa, and Italy), Captain America: Civil War (Germany), and Thor: The Dark World (England and Iceland) used international locations to bring epic stories to life.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

• Star Wars: Since the original trilogy, Star Wars has used U.K.-based Pinewood Studios and international landscapes, including Ireland (Ahch-To in The Last Jedi) and Jordan (Pasaana in The Rise of Skywalker).

The Disney live-action remake of Aladdin was filmed in a few locations. Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, was used for the city of Agrabah’s streets, square, and castle exterior. The Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan served as the location for scenes surrounding Agrabah, including the Cave of Wonders and unique rock formations.
Photo: Disney

• Disney Live-Action Films: Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Cruella all filmed overseas or used international crews and effects studios to create their stunning visuals.

Even Disney’s animated films have ties abroad. While core animation is usually done in California, many Disney and Pixar projects rely on international visual effects houses and overseas studios for digital clean-up, in-between animation, and rendering.

What Tariff Talk Could Mean for Disney Fans

If the haunting tariff talk were to come to fruition and enforced as broadly as described, it could increase the cost of making future films dramatically—potentially reducing the number of new movies released each year or changing how and where Disney produces them. That could delay upcoming Marvel phases, new Star Wars sagas, and even impact content planned for Disney+.

The Marvel movie “Thunderbolts” was primarily filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional scenes shot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Utah, USA.
Photo: Marvel

Some industry experts fear Disney might have to scale back large-scale productions or shift further into AI-driven workflows to cut costs—possibly sacrificing the authenticity and artistry fans love.

Will This Impact the Parks?

While the proposal doesn’t directly affect Disney Parks, any disruption in Disney’s film production pipeline eventually trickles down. Characters, attractions, and experiences in the parks—from Avengers Campus to Galaxy’s Edge—rely heavily on new content to stay relevant and exciting. Delays or cutbacks in movies could stall future ride updates, shows, and character additions.

Global Blowback

European studios and film commissions—many of which partner closely with Disney—warn that such tariffs could backfire, leading to retaliatory policies that restrict U.S. films abroad. That could hurt Disney’s bottom line in major markets like the U.K., France, Germany, and China.

It’s still unclear how (or if) this proposal will be enforced. But one thing’s for sure: with this haunting tariff talk, we might soon need passports with a lot more stamps so we can watch blockbusters.

Photo: Shutterstock

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