Hollywood struggles vs. new film meccas overseas

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new filmmaking diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand.

Fueled by politicians giving out generous tax breaks, filmmaking talent is migrating to where the money is. The race allows powerful studios —with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal— to pick the best deals.

This month, James Cameron announced plans to shoot and produce the next three "Avatar" sequels largely in New Zealand. Cameron gets a 25 percent rebate on production costs, as long as his company spends at least $413 million on the three films.