Film studios threaten to boycott Georgia against abortion law



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"We will monitor the situation closely and if the new law remains in force, we will again consider Georgia as the place for all new productions," said WarnerMedia, which brings together HBO, Turner and Warner Bros., in a statement to l & # 39; AFP.

"As always, we will work closely with our production partners and talents to determine how and where to turn a project."

NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and AMC Networks also warned that if the abortion bill came into effect, it would affect their choice of location.

"We expect that heartbeat bills and similar laws in various states will face serious legal challenges and will not come into effect as long as the process is going on in court," he said. declared NBCUniversal in a statement to AFP. "If any of these laws were respected, it would have a significant impact on our decision making on the sites where we will produce our content in the future."

A spokesman for Sony said the company would keep an eye on the legal challenges of the Abortion Act and act accordingly.

Large production center

"We will continue to follow this process in close consultation with our filmmakers and TV hosts, our talents and other stakeholders, as part of our thinking on our future production options," said the spokesman. .

Netflix was the first major studio to step forward earlier this week and criticize abortion legislation, saying that if this law came into force, "we would rethink all our investment in Georgia."

Since then, other studios have followed suit. Disney general manager Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" to continue filming in that state if the abortion law comes into effect.

Known as South Hollywood or Y 'allywood, Georgia has in recent years become the third largest production center in the country after Los Angeles and New York, thanks to tax credits that can reach 30%, among the most generous in the world. – it offers film and television production companies.

If the film and television industry decided to deny Georgia to a film location, it would be a blow to the state, which last year had some 92,000 jobs and an economic impact of more than $ 9 billion. dollars from his productions.

"The Conjuring 3", from WarnerMedia, is the third installment of the supernatural horror film.

On the television side, Jordan Peele and J.J. "Lovecraft Country" of Abrams, a television horror series based on the novel by the same name Matt Ruff, is expected to shoot in that state.

Disney filmed a number of blockbusters, including "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Endgame", while Netflix filmed TV hits such as "Stranger Things" and "Ozark".

The flagship series of AMC's "The Walking Dead" is also shot in Georgia.

& # 39; Do the right thing & # 39;

But the intimate relationship between Hollywood and Georgia is likely to collapse in the light of the abortion law signed on May 7 by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

Under the "Fetal Heart Rhythm Bill," which will come into force next year, abortion would be banned as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.

The law has prompted more and more activists, actors and other actors in the film industry to call for a boycott of the state.

"Georgia risks losing Netflix and Disney," tweeted Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who almost defeated Kemp in the mid-term elections in November.

"That means lost jobs for carpenters, hairdressers, food workers and hundreds of small businesses developed right here," she added.

Michael Taylor, film producer and director of the Institute of Media for Social Change (Media Institute for Social Change) of the University of Southern California, said he was delighted to see Hollywood to stand "on the right side of the question".

"I do not know if it's a good financial decision for them … but I think sometimes we have to do what's required, as opposed to financial prudence," he said. declared to AFP.

"Most of the city's residents – certainly in the studios and in the category that I have clbadified too – thought that it was a problem solved with Roe v Wade," he said. he added. "And when you see states trying to solve this problem, I think the right thing to do is to take a stand and spend your money elsewhere."

In addition to Georgia, several other US states, including Alabama and Louisiana, have laws limiting abortion.

These states hope that the bills will result in a reversal of the landmark 1973 ruling of the US Supreme Court, Roe / Wade, which legalized abortion in the country.

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