As L.A. sound stages sit empty, fat tax incentives and saner politics are turning Britain’s capital into a mecca for streamers, studios and stars. Will Trump’s tariffs halt the exodus?
Rumor has it that when London‘s luxury hotel Chiltern Firehouse erupted in flames in February, most of its high-profile clientele spilling out onto the streets weren’t well-heeled Brits — they were from Los Angeles.
The venue was set to host Netflix’s BAFTA awards party that weekend — with attendees including Zoe Saldaña, Leonardo DiCaprio, Demi Moore, Adrien Brody and Colman Domingo — but a rogue strip of wood falling from a pizza oven led to a change of plans. More than 100 firefighters descended on the celebrity hotspot in Marylebone, owned by Chateau Marmont proprietor André Balazs. The hotel incurred major damage, but no injuries were reported. But it’s a suitable metaphor: London is ablaze.
