Salma Hayek has spent decades listening to people talk about Mexico as if they know it. Now she is doing what she has always done best when Hollywood gets it wrong. She is putting her name, her power, and her taste behind a story that starts where she started. In Mexico. On Mexico’s terms.

Hayek announced she is developing a new film rooted in her homeland at a public event with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, where they discussed the future of the national film industry and the urgency of investing in Mexican-produced stories.

Salma Hayek is tired of watching Mexico get misrepresented

Hayek framed the moment as larger than a single project. She linked it to the way Mexico has been portrayed globally and to the stakes she feels right now.

“This project is extremely important at a time when we are being morally attacked and when our image is being represented in a completely wrong way,” Hayek said in Spanish.

She also tied creative ownership to cultural truth.

“It is important to take control of the narrative to say this is Mexico, not what they are selling you. This is who we are.”

A film rooted in Veracruz and Quintana Roo, on purpose

Hayek confirmed production will take place in Veracruz, her home state on the Gulf coast, and in Quintana Roo, a region known for its rich history and coastal landscape.

Local media reports have linked Angelina Jolie to the project, although details remain private. Jolie visited Veracruz with Hayek in July 2025, a trip that drew attention and suggested early development already had momentum.

Salma Hayek showed up for policy, not a photo op

If the film is about narrative control, the timing is also about infrastructure.

According to Deadline, Hayek joined Sheinbaum on stage in Mexico City to support the launch of a new plan for cinema in Mexico that includes a 30% income tax incentive. Deadline reported that the plan also encompasses training, production, exhibition, and preservation.

El País reported that Sheinbaum presented the plan at the Palacio Nacional and described a tax credit on Mexico’s income tax (ISR) worth up to 30% of what an audiovisual production spends in Mexico, with a cap of 40 million pesos per project. El País also reported a key requirement: that at least 70% of spending be allocated to Mexican companies.

The 30% incentive, explained without the legalese

Deadline reported that the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público, SHCP) coordinated the measure and that it officially took effect that day. According to Deadline, Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza said the incentive can reach up to 30% of the income tax tied to expenditures within Mexican territory, with a maximum cap of 40 million pesos per project or process, and projects must include at least 70% domestic suppliers.

Deadline also reported eligibility thresholds, including minimum verifiable expenditures for fiction or animated features and series episodes, documentaries, and specific animation, VFX, or post-production processes.

Salma Hayek made it, then turned around and reached back

Hayek began her career in Mexican television and film in the 1980s, then moved to the United States and built a Hollywood career that made her one of the most recognized Latina actresses in the industry. Since then, she has used her influence to create opportunities by producing and shaping stories rather than waiting for an invitation.

That context matters here because Hayek did not speak like a guest star. She spoke like someone who sees the industry as a community.

According to Deadline, she said, “I owe my career to the Mexican film community. It was a great honor to stand alongside this same community today and announce this incredible new initiative.”

“Viva Mexico,” and a very specific kind of pride

Deadline reported Hayek praised Mexican cinema’s legacy and the people behind it.

“Mexico has a long and distinguished cinematic legacy and a film industry that is truly world-class, home to some of the most talented and creative artists and technicians I have ever had the privilege of working with,” Hayek Pinault said, according to Deadline.

“I’m excited that this incentive will help shine an even brighter light on all of this and continue to strengthen and grow this extraordinary film community. Thank you, President Sheinbaum, for having me and for letting me be a part of this historic moment. Viva Mexico.”

Hayek’s decision to invest her time and influence in this film falls within a broader period of cultural tension, during which she has also used her platform to express solidarity with Latinos and to share information about legal rights during immigration enforcement actions.

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