Production companies announce filming boycott in Georgia over 'heartbeat' abortion law

Some Hollywood producers are calling cut on Georgia after the signing of a new abortion law.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) on Tuesday signed into law a bill banning most abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Thanks to its tax credits, the state has become a popular filming location for some of the biggest movies and TV shows in the world, from Avengers: Endgame to The Walking Dead. Celebrities from Don Cheadle to Ben Stiller signed a letter written by Alyssa Milano in March saying they would do "everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state" should the bill become law.

Now, three production companies have announced a Georgia filming boycott. The Wire creator David Simon says Blown Deadline Productions, which produces shows like HBO's The Deuce, won't film in Georgia "until we can be assured the health options and civil liberties of our female colleagues are unimpaired."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Christine Vachon, the CEO of Killer Films, also said her studio won't consider Georgia for any projects "until this ridiculous law is overturned." Killer Films in recent years has produced acclaimed movies like First Reformed, Carol, and Vox Lux.

Mark Duplass, whose company has produced shows like HBO's Room 104 and movies like Netflix's Paddleton, also tweeted his pledge not to film in Georgia, and most recently, producer Neal Dodson said CounterNarrative Films, which has produced movies like Netflix's Triple Frontier, joined in on the boycott. Milano told BuzzFeed News that if Netflix's Insatiable continues to film in Georgia, she won't return to star in it.

The Motion Picture Association of America has not similarly called for a boycott, telling The Hollywood Reporter that film production in the state supports almost 100,000 jobs and that, since similar legislation in other states has faced legal challenges, "the outcome in Georgia will also be determined through the legal process."