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President Donald Trump’s Sunday night proposal to impose tariffs on movies made outside the U.S. has been met with a mix of confusion and fear by the entertainment industry. 

And by noon Monday, White House officials clarified that “no final decisions” had been made and that it was “exploring all options.” 

Trump’s initial proposal, posted to Truth Social, called for tariffs “on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” citing what he said was the harmful impact of incentives being offered by other countries.   

“WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN,” Trump wrote.  

But in a note to clients, analysts with Morgan Stanley called the idea “ill-defined,” noting 100% duties on some or all of the cost of a Hollywood production “would lead to fewer films, more expensive films, and lower earnings for all in the business.” 

“The reality is that for any given film, there can be writing, production, editing,  post-production, visual effects — all done in different countries,” they wrote.

The analysts noted Trump’s proposal failed to mention whether the tariffs would also apply to TV productions, what aspect of a production would be tariffed and how it would be charged, and whether the tariffs could be applied retroactively.

The tariffs would hit as Hollywood continues to navigate one of the most difficult periods in its history, as social media, changing tastes and habits among viewers, the dawn of artificial intelligence, and the fallout from the writers strike have rattled the industry — and crimped box-office returns. Last year’s box office totaled just $8.75 billion, a 3% decline from 2023 and well off the $11 billion pre-pandemic average.  

It is true that Hollywood has increasingly opted to take production overseas, with Canada, New Zealand and especially the U.K. seeing some of the biggest jumps in spending and investment. Last year’s biggest live-action hits, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two,” were filmed in studios outside the U.S. 

Yet unlike most sectors Trump has targeted for tariffs, the U.S. entertainment industry has a large trade surplus with the rest of the world, given continued foreign interest in American titles.  

Multiple Hollywood representatives declined to speak about Trump’s proposal or did not respond to requests for comment. 

The financial impact, meanwhile, was already being felt: In Monday trading, shares of most entertainment giants, like Netflix, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, declined. 

The proposal also comes as Trump has appointed Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight as “special ambassadors” to bring “lost business” back. Notably, all three men have supported Trump and espoused conservative-leaning views.

White House officials initially referred additional questions about the proposed tariffs to the Commerce Department. In a post on X, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said “We’re on it” above an account that reposted Trump’s Truth Social post.

Other analysts were more upbeat about the ability of content entities to avoid the tariffs. Analysts with Wedbush said, without firsthand knowledge of the White House’s vision, that as long as there was some element of a production performed in the U.S., a tariff could be “avoided or minimized.”

They added that studios would likely move some production elements stateside to placate Trump, though this would eat into their profit margins.  

More substantially, the Wedbush analysts say they believe the entire tariffs episode could eventually subside. 

“Over the longer term, we expect foreign country reaction and the assertion of its constitutional authority by Congress to cause Trump to change his mind,” they wrote.

A correctional officer on Monday pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter in connection with the 2024 fatal beating of New York inmate Robert Brooks.

Christopher Walrath appeared before Judge Robert L. Bauer in Oneida County Court to enter his plea. Walrath, 36, is one of six correctional officers charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in connection with beating Brooks in a medical exam room in Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9.

Walrath answered “yes” to a series of questions asked by Bauer and the prosecutor, including if he and the co-defendants assaulted Brooks and if he put the inmate “in a chokehold against departmental policy and procedure.” Walrath also admitted to not reporting the use of force against Brooks and that the repeated assaults against Brooks ultimately caused his death.

Walrath is out on bond, under the condition that he commits no new offenses and he appears in court when asked. He will be sentenced on Aug. 4.

Late last year, body camera footage released by the New York attorney general’s office showed the officers punching and kicking Brooks while he was handcuffed to an infirmary bed at Marcy Correctional Facility.

In one video, Brooks is seen sitting up as an officer presses his foot down on him, and two officers punch him. At another point, he is forcefully yanked from the bed by his shirt collar and held up above the ground, his face visibly bloodied.

The footage drew outrage from political leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, who called the incident a “brutal attack” and took action to fire the 14 people involved, including correctional officers, sergeants and a prison nurse. In February, she announced the charges against six correctional officers involved in the beating, including Walrath, Anthony Farina, Mathew Galliher, David Kinglsey and Michael Mashaw. One name was redacted.

“Robert Brooks should be alive today,” Hochul said in a statement issued at the time.

The five identified men pleaded not guilty to the murder and manslaughter charges in court in February before Walrath’s Monday plea.

Walrath did not enter a plea to the second-degree murder charge. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An elderly female cat was found alive last week following a nearly 400-foot fall at a Utah national park that killed her owners, authorities said.

The bodies of Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, were found April 29 in Bryce Canyon National Park, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, citing the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Visitors spotted the bodies about 380 feet below the lookout spot, the newspaper reported.

Authorities believe Nannen and Crane fell off Inspiration Point on April 28 or April 29.

The sheriff’s office said it appears that the pair was living out of a U-Haul and traveled to Utah from Arizona, according to the newspaper. Their last known address was in Florida.

The cat was taken in by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

The sanctuary said in a news release that the 12-year-old cat, now named Mirage, was found in a soft-sided carrier that was covered in mud and dirt. The animal was “sore and matted” with fractured ribs when it arrived, but seems to be doing well.

“She’s eating and drinking on her own, and with steady attention from the veterinary team, she’s getting the care she needs. She’s expected to make a full recovery,” the sanctuary said.

Judah Battista, Best Friends’ chief sanctuary officer, said it’s “remarkable” that the cat survived the fall.

“She’s a very sweet girl and doing very well,” Battista said in a statement.

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