Oscar-winning movies that would have been hit by Donald Trump’s 100% foreign-made film tariff: List includes Parasite & Slumdog Millionaire

Posting on his Truth Social platform, the US president claimed to have directed the US Commerce Department and the US Trade Representative to immediately begin implementing the tariff, which he framed as a national security issue.

“This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat,” Trump wrote. “It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” He ended the post with a rallying cry: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded on X, saying simply: “We’re on it.” Neither Trump nor Lutnick provided further details, leaving questions about whether the tariffs would apply to American production companies filming abroad, foreign production houses distributing in the US, or both.

The policy would have impacted several high-profile Oscar-winning films made by foreign production houses. Among them is Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2020), which was filmed entirely in South Korea. The film won four Academy Awards at the 92nd Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, making it the first non-English language film to win Best Picture.

Similarly, The King’s Speech (2011), which earned four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, was shot entirely in the UK, with locations spanning London, Leeds, and Buckinghamshire.

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (2009) would also have been affected. The British production was filmed across various neighbourhoods of Mumbai, India, and went on to win eight Oscars.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004), which was filmed over 438 days in New Zealand, won a record-tying 11 Academy Awards and would have fallen under the proposed tariff as well.

The tariff would also have impacted Gandhi (1982), a British-Indian historical epic chronicling the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Filmed largely in India, the film won eight Oscars, including Best Picture.

FilmLA, the nonprofit group that tracks film production in Los Angeles, reports a nearly 40% drop in local filming over the past decade. During that time, international locations have become increasingly attractive thanks to lucrative tax credits and cash rebates. With global content production expected to hit $248 billion in 2025, according to Ampere Analysis, the financial stakes of Trump’s proposed tariff are significant.