President Donald Trump’s announcement last week that Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone would serve as “special envoys” to Hollywood has raised questions about their role as the industry reckons with a rocky state of affairs.
On Thursday, via his Truth Social platform, President Trump wrote, “It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California.”
“They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!”
President Donald Trump announced Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight as “special envoys” to Hollywood last week. (Getty Images)
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He added, “These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!”
What Stallone, Gibson, and Voight will specifically do remains to be seen, but there is some speculation.
Travis Knox, associate professor at Chapman University, explained to Fox News Digital, “As of right now, the special ambassadors’ specific duties are ambiguous. Either curbing runaway production or convincing China, the 2nd largest film market in the world, to expand its quota of imported Hollywood films would be a win for the American film industry. However, without clear directives, we’ll have to see how Voight, Gibson, and Stallone approach their roles as Trump’s ‘eyes and ears’ in Hollywood.”
“It’s not so much that they’re official government employees or they have specific powers. I think it’s a lot more symbolic in the idea of trying to bring back or bring in a cooperation between Hollywood and the more conservative or right side of the current administration,” said Jason Cherubini, executive in residence at Loyola University, Maryland and co-founder of Dawn’s Light Media.
Stallone, Gibson, and Voight’s duties have not been specified, but experts like Jason Cherubini think it will be “more symbolic.” (Getty Images)
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He continued, “Because you’ve seen so much of the entertainment industry on the left, the support of the Democratic Party, of [former Vice President Kamala] Harris. And in this last election, seeing a little bit more of a shift that it was OK to announce or talk about being on the right or center right. I think this is, if anything, Trump trying to push a little bit of support and continue that growth of the media industry and establishment not being solely to the left, but at least if not for further right, at least center right.”
At last November’s America First Policy Institute Gala, Stallone called Trump the “second George Washington” while introducing him to the crowd.
“I think it’s a lot more symbolic in the idea of trying to bring back or bring in a cooperation between Hollywood and the more conservative or right side of the current administration.”
“When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was going to change the world because, without him, you could imagine what the world would look like? Guess what? We’ve got the second George Washington. Congratulations!”
Doug Eldridge of Achilles PR agreed that there will likely be changes in how politics are handled in Hollywood.
President-elect Donald Trump greeted Sylvester Stallone onstage at the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-a-Lago in November. (Joe Raedle)
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“This marks a continued (albeit gradual) political shift across Hollywood, in terms of ideology and alignment. The last two prominent, conservatives to come out of the industry: Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the decades since, Hollywood has leaned decided liberal; this arguably peaked during the Obama years, when actors, athletes, and musicians lined up to endorse and support the 44th President of the United States. I wouldn’t say this realignment is akin to a light switch (meaning immediate in its pace and effect) but it certainly seems like the early stages of a dimmer switch.”
And while those shifts are certainly likely, film expert and producer-actor Scott Hamm Duenas sees a potential for differing political stances clashing.
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“Having leaders in Hollywood who are huge stars but also happen to be conservatives could potentially cause a lot of friction. Since becoming president in 2016, Hollywood, Trump, and Trump supporters are like oil and water; they do not mix. I think you would have to influence many very important people to open their minds to the thought of taking these people and their ambassadorship seriously,” he said.
Cherubini predicts that Stallone, Gibson, and Voight’s roles will also lead to a shift in the kinds of stories being produced.
Trump and many members of Hollywood have clashed since his first term. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)
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“I think the impact is going to be more support for different types of productions with maybe different content or areas that I think especially outside of your major studio system,” he said. “It’s not studio executives, it’s household name actors.”
He noted that some of the biggest studio leaders in Hollywood, like Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Disney’s Bob Iger, weren’t the ones selected for the position, meaning it’s not so much “a switch in the studio system in those productions, but bringing more of an awareness to those other filmmakers or those filmmakers who may be making outside [films] of the mainstream,” specifically faith-based productions.
“It’s an area that is not always been fully embraced by Hollywood in the media industry. And I think this is a little bit of extra support and push for potentially those types of projects and those filmmakers,” the “Money Plane” producer said.
While Hamm Duenas does see a potential for friction, it will all come down to how any changes or suggestions are presented, as well as where money from audiences leads.
Cherubini said Hollywood big wigs like Disney’s Bob Iger and Marvel’s Kevin Feige not being chosen as envoys signals attempts to highlight “filmmakers who may be making outside [films] of the mainstream.” (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
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“If they don’t come in overly aggressive, trying to force their views on people and instead come up with a plan to push for a return to more traditional forms of storytelling, emphasizing themes like patriotism and resilience, which are often associated with their work, I think that could possibly work, especially if that type of programming is a hit with audiences,” he said.
“At the end of the day, the industry is all about making a profit,” Duenas added. “If that type of contest equates to clicks, streams, and butts in seats, Hollywood will shift its content without hesitation. That being said, it wouldn’t alter Hollywood’s core values or diminish its commitment to telling progressive stories and giving a platform to issues they deeply believe in and feel deserve to be heard.”
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For example, “Sound of Freedom,” produced by Angel Studios, known for its Christian-themed content, was a box office hit in 2023, earning around $250 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo, and becoming a blockbuster hit alongside “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” It also happened to star Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” star Jim Caviezel as real-life anti-child-trafficking activist Tim Ballard.
For his part, Gibson admitted he was a bit surprised by his role as an envoy but was ready to fulfill his yet-to-be determined duties.
“Sound of Freedom,” produced by Angel Studios, was a box office hit in 2023. (Angel Studios/ ‘The Sound of Freedom’)
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“I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised,” Gibson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can. Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?”
Duenas added, “Realistically, the ambassadors’ involvement could really rub a lot of heavy hitters, including studios, producers, actors, directors, and writers, the wrong way. This could even deepen existing divides within the industry, as Hollywood is very proud of its liberal stance, and the last thing they want is lectures about how to do business from conservatives.”
Voight was vocal in his support of his new role, declaring he’s seen a “slow deterioration” of Hollywood over his nearly seven-decade career.
“I’m old enough to have touched some years of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and I’ve seen its slow deterioration since,” he said. “Today, we are in pretty bad shape. Very few films are made here now, but we are fortunate to have an incoming President who wants to restore Hollywood to its former glory, and with his help, I feel we can get done.”
Voight has said he’s seen a “slow deterioration” of Hollywood over his career and looks forward to working with Trump in his position as envoy. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Now we have been through these horrible fires and our spirits are down, but we are resilient. We will help each other and we will rebuild. Love to everyone across the nation who has come to our aid.”
The “Midnight Cowboy” star’s mention of “very few films” being made in Los Angeles has been an ongoing issue following the triple hit of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dual writers and actors strikes in 2023, and now the fires that ravaged large portions of the city.
“At the end of the day, the industry is all about making a profit. If that type of contest equates to clicks, streams, and butts in seats, Hollywood will shift its content without hesitation.”
“Will we see a shift in production location?” Eldridge said. “In the immediate sense, yes, but that will be due in large part to the utter devastation caused by the Los Angeles fires. If the Writers Guild strike delayed production by an entire year, there’s no telling when Hollywood will get back to ‘business as usual’ based on the images we’ve seen on TV over the last week.”
He continued, “But the inevitable outsourcing of production won’t be caused by the fires themselves; several years ago, states like Georgia and Texas began giving significant tax incentives to filmmakers in order to move production to their states. California might be home to Hollywood, but it’s also home to one of the most prohibitive (and arguably, punitive) tax structures in the entire country. We had already seen the beginning of a slow migration of production out of California; I think these fires will only serve to fast-track that creative exodus.”
The fires that hit Los Angeles in early January were another blow to Hollywood’s production business, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
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Cherubini said that the envoys won’t necessarily focus on keeping production in California but that the state will have to focus on itself.
“If there is a switch at the state level government, there may be something that happens there. But even at the state level, I think that’s a decision on working with major studios versus your mini studios or even your independent films on what can be done within California versus what is easier to do or cheaper to do or more efficient to do in these other locations.”
Duenas said, “While they could advocate for bringing production back to California, I don’t know how much credit they would get, as things are already moving in that direction for 2025. Plans for tax incentives are already in the works to bring more production back from other states and countries, which would be huge for California and the enormous number of people this industry provides income for in the Golden State.”
As Stallone, Gibson, and Voight, along with the rest of Hollywood, await the answers as to what their positions will entail, experts remain mixed on how they will be received.
Some experts feel the Hollywood envoys will be divisive. (Alex Wroblewski)
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Hamm Duenas said, “No matter how their ideas are presented, they will definitely conjure up mixed reactions. Some stars may support their initiatives, some will stay neutral, and others—I think the majority—will oppose them.”
“I think there’s always going to be the[se] polarized extremes,” Cherubini said. “There’s going to be people who are adamantly against anything this administration does in the same way proponents of this administration are going to be adamantly against everything from the other side.”
But even with the potential for disagreements, Cherubini thinks any push for more production of any kind, especially ones that stay not just in California, but the United States entirely, would be welcome.
Kevin Costner filmed the first two parts of his “Horizon” film series in Utah, one of many productions moving out of California. (Warner Bros.)
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“I think a lot of people, again, outside of your polarized extremes, will be very happy for anything that starts putting more productions back on its feet and getting us into a situation where more productions are being made and being made stateside. Because outside of just projects going from California to other states, we’ve seen a drastic increase in productions moving abroad that have no necessity to move abroad.
“It’s all financial and legal implications on what you’re able to do in other places at different price points. So, if more of that can be brought stateside or brought back California, I think a lot of people will be not just OK with it, I think they’ll be in favor of it.”
