Georgia might be facing more business trouble from Hollywood because of its newly signed abortion law.
Streaming giant Netflix said that it would reconsider investment in the state over the law, which if enforced would prohibit abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Disney CEO Bob Iger said Wednesday that his company would also find it difficult to work in the state should the law go into effect.
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“I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now we are watching it very carefully,” Iger told Reuters. “I don’t see how it’s practical for us to continue to shoot there.”
Disney’s Marvel Studios filmed parts of its high-grossing movies “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame” in Georgia.
The so-called heartbeat bill has drawn fierce resistance from the entertainment industry. Georgia plays host to generous tax incentives, and the state, sometimes known as “Y’allywood,” is the nation’s third-largest production hub.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement earlier this week that the company would fight the law in court alongside the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there, while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to. Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia,” Sarandos said.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, defended the legislation, bashing those in Hollywood calling for a boycott.
“We are the party of freedom and opportunity. We value and protect innocent life — even though that makes C-list celebrities squawk,” Kemp said.
Georgia joins a slate of Republican-led states across the country passing stringent abortion laws, with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, signing a bill that bans abortion in almost every situation.
