These are the Hollywood studios threatening to boycott Georgia on the law of heartbeat

Mary Margaret Olohan | Journalist

• Hollywood studios are increasingly saying they will reconsider their decision to shoot in Georgia if the heartbeat law were in effect.
• Companies include Disney, Netflix and Viacom.
• Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill on May 7.

A growing number of Hollywood studios have said they will consider turning off their filming business in Georgia if the Heartbeat Law is to come into effect in 2020.

The film industry adds about $ 9.5 billion to the Georgian economy, but several Hollywood studios have said the law of the heartbeat violates Roe v. Wade and they were planning to film somewhere else, NBC News reported.

Georgia Republican governor Brian Kemp signed a bill on fetal heartbeats in May, which is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2020, banning most abortions in Georgia after detection of a condition. heartbeat. The bill provides exceptions for rape and incest with a police report and when the health of the mother is in danger.

Hollywood studios are threatening to suspend their activities, noting that they are monitoring the situation and paying attention to the wishes of their actors and their production teams.

Netflix said the ban in Georgia would prompt the company to rethink its investments in Georgia.

"Many women are working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, as well as millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law," said Ted Sarandos, content manager at Netflix. "That's why we're going to work with the ACLU and others to fight it in court. Since legislation has not yet been implemented, we will continue filming there while supporting partners and artists who choose not to do so.

Disney general manager Bob Iger said he did not see how it would be convenient for Disney to continue shooting in Georgia if the law comes into force, adding that it would make it "very difficult" for Disney to continue filming over there. (RELATED: Disney threatens to boycott Georgia, but associates with China, which places Muslims in internment camps)

"I doubt we will," Iger told Reuters. "I think a lot of people who work for us will not want to work there and we will have to consider their wishes in that regard. At this moment, we are watching it very carefully. "

Although the company is talking about the boycott of Georgia, Disney is taking advantage of the business he is conducting in China, a notorious rapist who has violated human rights and who has mass-arrested Uyghur Muslims, placing them in internment camps.

Disney has also shot movies in Middle Eastern countries with more stringent abortion laws than the Georgia law, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

WATCH:

EXCLUSIVE: The Disney CEO says it will be "difficult" to shoot in Georgia if the abortion law comes into effect. More here https://t.co/Xx9gr07vcw pic.twitter.com/NapxdwAm3T

– Top Reuters News (@Reuters) May 30, 2019

NBC Universal said it expects the bill to pose serious challenges.

"We expect that heartwarming bills and similar laws in various states will face serious legal challenges and will not come into effect as long as the process takes place in court," he said. declared the NBC. "If any of these laws were followed, it would have a significant impact on our decision as to where we will produce our content in the future."

Warner Media said the company was following established procedures, adding that it often worked in countries in which it might not hold its positions.

"We work and produce work in many states and in many countries at any time. While this does not mean that we agree with all positions taken by a state or country and their leaders, we respect the principle of procedure, "Warner Media said. in a report.

"We will monitor the situation closely and, if the new law remains in force, we will again consider Georgia as the place of all new productions. As always, we will work closely with our production partners and talents to determine how and where to draw a project. "

SONY also commented on the law on heartbeat.

"As noted by the MPAA, the results of Georgia's" Law on Heartbeat "and similar bills proposed in other states will be determined through the judicial process" , said SONY. "We will continue to follow this process in close consultation with our filmmakers and TV hosts, our talents and other stakeholders in evaluating our future production options."

Viacom said it expects the legislation to face "significant legal challenges".

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Georgia and we expect the legislation to be subject to significant legal challenges," said Viacom. "If the new law comes into force, we will determine whether we will continue to produce projects in Georgia."

AMC and CBS Showtime also raised concerns about the law and raised the possibility of reconsidering their future goals.

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