Disney could pull Georgia's productions on the abortion law

Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, said the controversial anti-abortion laws in Georgia would make it "difficult" for the company to continue filming there.

Blockbusters like Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame have recently been shot in this state, because of its generous tax cuts for film productions.

However, Iger said that "many people who work for us will not want to work there" if the law comes into force.

"We will have to consider their wishes," he told Reuters.

Earlier this month, Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed the "Heartbeat Bill," which would ban abortions as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.

It is expected to come into effect on January 1, but is expected to face challenges in court.

The legislation provoked a furious reaction in Hollywood and led to calls for a boycott.

• The US abortion law feeds the call for boycott
• What's behind the anti-abortion "heartbeat bill" in Georgia?

Earlier this week, Netflix said it would "rethink" its operations there; while stars like Amy Schumer, Ben Stiller, Christina Applegate, Laverne Cox and Alec Baldwin wrote to the governor saying that they "would do everything in our power to bring our industry to a safer state for women".

Kristen Wiig, comedy actress and writer, has also confirmed to CNN that her new comedy has been removed from filming in that state, while executive producers of the new Amazon show The Power have announced that she was looking more at film locations in Georgia because of the controversial bill.

Actor Jason Bateman, who plays on the Netflix and Ozark TV shows, as well as in The Outsider of HBO, which are currently shooting in Georgia, told The Hollywood Reporter: "I will not work in Georgia or any other state so outrageously opposed to the women's rights ".

"Right now, we are watching it very carefully," said Bob Iger, before adding "that he has not seen how convenient it is for us to continue shooting there" .

The eventual withdrawal of Disney would be a blow to the state. Recently, Disney's Marvel Studios have filmed Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame parties in Georgia.

Georgia, which offers up to 30% tax breaks, has become a magnet for film and television productions, employing more than 90,000 people.

Website Film LA badyzed a sample of the 100 most profitable feature films released at the US box office in 2017 and found that Georgia was tied with the UK in second place, with 15 films each in the top 100 in 2017. California was the most used location.

Law on Abortion in Louisiana

Recent productions based in this state include: Godzilla: King of Monsters, Ant-Man and Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Black Panther, Pitch Perfect 3, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spider-Man: Back Housewife, Strange Things, Ozark and The Walking Dead.

Georgia is one of the states in the United States to have adopted the strict law prohibiting abortion beyond the sixth week of pregnancy, the latest being Louisiana.

The new law prevents abortion in almost all circumstances once an embryonic heart rate can be detected.

Critics pointed out what they saw as a challenge orchestrated to a decades-old US Supreme Court decision that protected a woman's right to choose an abortion.

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