Hollywood Is Gearing Up to Boycott Georgia Over Its New Abortion Law
Three Hollywood production companies have announced that they will boycott the state of Georgia over Draconian new abortion laws, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The companies include David Simon’s Blown Deadline Productions, Killer Films, and the Duplass Brothers Productions.
Earlier this week, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law which bans all abortions after a fetal “heartbeat” can be detected, often as early as six weeks. The law includes exceptions for rape or incest, but only if the woman is willing to file a police report.
The law is scheduled to go into effect in January 2020, and is expected to face legal challenges before then.
The reaction from Hollywood began quickly after the bill was signed, with producers tweeting that their companies would boycott Georgia as a shooting location. Christine Vachon, the CEO of Killer Films, was one of the first to make the pledge.
Simon, who created popular television shows including The Wire, followed.
“I can’t ask any female member of any film production with which I am involved to so marginalize themselves or compromise their inalienable authority over their own bodies. I must undertake production where the rights of all citizens remain intact,” Simon tweeted.
Mark Duplass, a successful producer who currently has a four-film deal with Netflix, did the same.
Larger Hollywood organizations have yet to join the directors, citing concerns about how removing business would impact local business.
“Film and television production in Georgia supports more than 92,000 jobs and brings significant economic benefits to communities and families,” the Motion Picture Association of America’s senior vice president of communications Chris Ortman told the Reporter.
“It is important to remember that similar legislation has been attempted in other states, and has either been enjoined by the courts or is currently being challenged. The outcome in Georgia will also be determined through the legal process. We will continue to monitor developments,” Ortman added.
Georgia is a popular filming location in large part due to tax incentives given to filmmakers by the state, which can give producers up to 30 percent back on taxes, according to the Reporter. Last year, film productions spent an estimated $2.7 billion in the state.
The nascent movement to boycott Georgia is reminiscent of the outcry that resulted from North Carolina’s notorious 2016 bathroom bill that discriminated against transgender people. In the wake of the bill, North Carolina was boycotted by diverse groups including the NCAA, Paypal, and Hollywood companies like Lionsgate.
Georgia has faced similar threats of boycotts over legislation in the past. A bill last year that would have made it legal for adoption agencies to discriminate against gay couples stirred up a boycott movement in Hollywood. The law was ultimately passed without the controversial language.