The hit CBS television series Tracker is heading to California after filming its first three seasons across Vancouver and southern British Columbia.
The series stars Justin Hartley as a survivalist who tracks down missing people to collect reward money. Production for the fourth season is set to begin in Los Angeles next month after the show secured a $48-million US tax credit, according to entertainment industry outlet Deadline.
Disney Television Studios, the parent company of Tracker producer 20th Television, confirmed Deadline’s report in an email to CBC News.
Tracker first premiered in February 2024 right after the Super Bowl and quickly became a major ratings success for CBS. In Canada, the show airs on Global Television Network.
Gemma Martini, CEO of Martini Film Studios, called the loss of the production “pretty devastating.” The Langley-based studio hosted the series throughout all three seasons.
“Every production is important to B.C.,” said Martini, who also serves as board chair of Screen BC.
“But more specifically, Tracker’s departure is a material loss for both our crews and our broader production economy,” she said. “It drove spending into communities throughout the province.”
Along with filming at Martini Film Studios, the 22-episode series frequently shot scenes in downtown Vancouver, across southern British Columbia and on Vancouver Island.
Showrunner and executive producer Elwood Reid said in a statement released Monday that he is “so grateful to the crew and people of Vancouver who made the first three seasons of this hit drama possible.”
At the same time, he added that the Tracker team is “thrilled” to begin work on season four in Los Angeles, “thanks to the tax incentive program.”
The office of Gavin Newsom also celebrated the move in a post on X, saying it “will deliver good-paying, quality jobs for L.A. crews and a boost to local businesses!”
Tracker is among 16 recently approved productions receiving tax credits under California’s $750-million incentive program, designed to attract film and television projects back to the state.
The show’s $48-million incentive — tied to at least $129 million in qualified spending — is reportedly the largest tax credit approved so far this year. According to Deadline, Tracker is also the only recently approved production relocating from another region.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, California recorded a 14 per cent drop in TV and film production spending in the first quarter of 2026 compared to last year, though it still remained the country’s biggest production market with nearly $1.5 billion spent in the state.
British Columbia increased its own tax incentive program at the end of 2024, raising credits for both domestic and international productions and adding extra bonuses for blockbuster projects with budgets exceeding $200 million Canadian.
Martini said the improved incentives have helped keep British Columbia competitive when attracting productions, though she believes the province is “only starting to see the benefit of that come now.”
She added that she hopes the momentum continues and that more large-scale studio productions — and jobs — will return to the province.
According to estimates released by Creative BC in March, the film and television industry contributed $3.1 billion to British Columbia’s economy in 2024 and supported roughly 42,000 jobs.
Tracker’s departure marks another challenge for Vancouver’s film and television industry, long known as “Hollywood North,” especially as several major productions are winding down.
The Vancouver-shot CBS drama Watson, which reimagined Sherlock Holmes in a medical setting, was recently cancelled after two seasons.
CBS has also shortened the fifth season of Fire Country to 13 episodes instead of 20. Locations including Anmore and Fort Langley in British Columbia have doubled as Northern California settings throughout the show.
Meanwhile, The Last of Us and Yellowjackets — both filmed around the Lower Mainland — are expected to finish production with their final seasons this year.
Despite those losses, the Directors Guild of Canada says around 30 film and television productions were still underway in British Columbia as of May 1, including several projects relocating from the United States.
Among them is the Fox sitcom Animal Control starring Joel McHale, which has already been renewed for a fifth season with Vancouver once again standing in for Seattle.
ABC’s revived comedy Scrubs, featuring Zach Braff and Vancouver actor Sarah Chalke, has also secured a second season.
Production is also underway in Vancouver for season two of FX’s Emmy-winning Shōgun, along with the debut season of God of War based on the popular video game franchise.
Last month, Netflix Animation Studios officially opened its new Vancouver studio hub, which the company says employs more than 450 people across its 10,000-square-metre facility.
The first major animated feature from the studio will be Steps, featuring voice performances by Ali Wong, Stephanie Hsu and Amanda Seyfried.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. He holds CAVCO Personnel Number SINH0106. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
