A backlash to Georgia’s new antiabortion law is slowly growing across one of its important industries: film and TV production.
Three independent production companies -- including the one run by the New Orleans-born filmmaking siblings Mark and Jay Duplass -- have announced they won’t do business in the state since the governor signed the so-called “heartbeat bill,” which bans most abortions the moment physicians hear a fetal heartbeat. More than 50 actors have also signed a letter to Georgia lawmakers saying they will seek to stop production in the state, a popular venue for Hollywood projects, if the law goes into effect.
But the biggest corporate players remain on the sidelines. The movie industry's D.C.-based trade group has said it will hold off on taking action, and no major studio has said it will move any of its productions out of the state.
The controversy stems from Georgia's Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act, which could ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. Newly elected Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, R, Tuesday signed the bill, which is considered one of the most restrictive in the country. The law would go into effect on Jan. 1 if it is not stopped by the courts.
The pledged boycott comes from companies run by the Duplass brothers, indie-film maverick Christine Vachon and “The Wire” writer David Simon. Each tweeted this week that they would no longer do business there.
"Killer Films will no longer consider Georgia as a viable shooting location until this ridiculous law is overturned," Vachon wrote, citing her New York company, which is behind a number of iconic films.
Simon said that "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."
Mark Duplass tweeted “Don’t give your business to Georgia. Will you pledge with me not to film anything in Georgia until they reverse this backwards legislation?”
Don’t give your business to Georgia. Will you pledge with me not to film anything in Georgia until they reverse this backwards legislation?
— Mark Duplass (@MarkDuplass) May 9, 2019
Those moves are likely to have mainly symbolic impact, however. Neither the Motion Picture Association of America, the industry's trade group, nor any of its member studios have said they will stop shooting in Georgia.
The MPAA has cited lost jobs in a state that over the past decade has become a hotbed of production.
"Film and television production in Georgia supports more than 92,000 jobs and brings significant economic benefits to communities and families," said MPAA's spokesman, Christ Ortman. "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."
According to the state's film commission, the most recent fiscal year saw direct spending of $2.7 billion in Georgia to take advantage of the credit offered by the state. Georgia has flourished as Disney, Sony, MTV, Lionsgate and numerous other companies have shot films there. "The Hunger Games" movies have been shot there; as were "Black Panther" and "The Walking Dead."
The state passed a tax credit a little more than a decade ago that allowed productions to collect a credit of up to 30 percent of its budget, enabling studios to either save money or increase their budgets. Those sums are significant, which make many studios wary of leaving them behind even in the face of controversy.
Producers also prefer the state's generally lower prices compared with California or New York as well as the geographic diversity - with big cities such as Atlanta and many rural locations, Georgia can double for a variety of settings.
The actress Alyssa Milano, who is shooting the Netflix series "Insatiable" in Georgia, has been among those outspoken about the state's legislation.
She recently tweeted "Hollywood! We should stop feeding GA economy" and wrote a column in the industry-trade site Deadline speaking out against the act.
"Why is HB 481 so alarming for Georgia when it comes to film?" she said, referring to the bill's official designation. "Each time leaders in the film industry schedule a production, they think very carefully about where we are going to film it. Women are increasingly in these decision-making roles. A lot of factors go into filming decisions, and when multiple options are available, state and local laws become part of the equation. It's not just about tax laws; it's about how the government treats its people."
She added, "Thousands of actors and film crew members converge on Georgia every year, and we hope to continue to do so. But we require a safe working environment with respect, tolerance, and love. All artists, especially women, must feel welcome."
Milano also wrote a letter to Kemp and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston pledging to try to move out of the state if the bill becomes law. Scores of actors signed it, including Gabrielle Union, Mia Farrow, Don Cheadle, Amy Schumer, Patton Oswalt and Sean Penn.
The controversy shows the friction that can develop when Hollywood, which is largely liberal, partners with more conservative Southern states. The efforts against the antiabortion bill follow mobilizations several years ago against a North Carolina law that enforced the use of restrooms that did not correspond with biological gender, as well as against an earlier bill in Georgia.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as that Georgia bill was known, was perceived by many as an anti-LGBTQ act, and a number of Hollywood figures said they would boycott the state if it was passed. The state’s then-Gov. Nathan Deal, R, later vetoed the bill.
Steven Zietchik wrote this story, (c) 2019 The Washington Post.
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