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James Mangold and Mark Hamill have said they want to boycott the state over its new voting restrictions – but others say it’s not the best way to protest.
Georgia faces calls for a possible boycott of Hollywood, this time over a controversial new voting bill that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed on March 25.
The new electoral law – which introduces more rigid electoral restrictions such as identity requirements for absentee voting, limiting the number of ballot boxes and banning giving food and water to voters online – has attracted much criticism from voting groups and Democrats. President Biden has dubbed it “Jim Crow in the 21st Century” while Stacey Abrams called it “a reminder of Georgia’s dark past”.
He has also been denounced by many in Hollywood. Some of these industry figures have even gone so far as to call for a boycott of the state, a movement that has grown and diminished over the years as other controversial laws, largely concerning abortion and LGBTQ rights, have come and gone. The impact of a boycott could be significant, however, as Hollywood regularly shoots TV shows and movies in the state and has helped grow Georgia’s robust film business in the industry by nearly 10 billion dollars that it is.
Among those in Hollywood who talk the most about a boycott is Ford vs. Ferrari director James Mangold, who tweeted he would not direct a future film in Georgia due to the new law. (Ford vs. Ferrari filmed in Georgia.) “Georgia used money to steal movie jobs in other states, which allows people to vote. I don’t want to act there,” wrote the director, who is directing Indiana Jones’ upcoming film. “The state will be irretrievably red with these new ‘laws’.”
Star wars actor Mark Hamill second Mangold’s call to action, by posting a tweet with the hashtag #NoMoreFilminginGeorgia. Production designer François Audouy, who has worked with Mangold on several films, also said that he would not be making a film in Georgia following the new electoral restrictions.
But if calls for a boycott multiply, so do calls to stop the movement before it gains momentum. “Please stop the #BoycottGeorgia talk,” Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. written on twitter. “It would hurt working middle class and people struggling with poverty. And it would increase the harms of racism and classism.”
Georgia-based actor Steve Coulter, who has appeared on shows like Valley P and Yellowstone, asked Mangold to think twice before boycotting: “James… we’ve fought like hell for the past 4 years to get it blue.” We have given you two Senators Dem. Your boycott only hurts us, the thousands of players and teams. Think before you cancel. Please. We have worked too hard. “
A Georgian production insider on the ground said boycott calls were much weaker this time around. “It looks like a few years ago it was a lot louder and the ball rolled a bit faster,” says the source, who acknowledges that the cast and crew have been out of work for so long in the middle of the pandemic could be a part of it. other stars and studios do not immediately jump on the boycott train.
This individual also notes that the local film community is more prepared to fight against those pushing to pull business, given that this is not their first rodeo. “There are better and more effective means of protest,” the source adds. Others are quick to point out that with Tyler Perry Studios, Georgia is home to the only black-owned studio in the country.
Abrams, for his part, has condemned the legislation as a “voter suppression bill targeting black and brown voters,” but has yet to weigh in on boycott calls. In the past, however, she has advised against them. Amid anti-abortion legislation in 2019, she wrote a Los Angeles Times According to an editorial, if she respected calls for a boycott of the state, “I don’t think this is the most effective strategic choice for change,” she wrote at the time.
Newly-elected Senator Raphael Warnock has harshly criticized the new electoral restrictions – but when asked by CNN’s Dana Bash whether boycotts should be on the table, he didn’t offer a clear yes or no. “I think we all have to use our voices,” he said vaguely. “We’ll see how it all plays out, but I’m focusing on what we can do in the US Senate.”
Calls for a boycott also extend beyond Hollywood. Civil rights groups have urged the Masters Tournament and Major League Baseball All-Star Game to find new places amid the passage of the bill. According to The Boston Globe, The Major League Baseball players’ union leader said he “looks forward” to discussing the possibility of moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta. Georgia-based companies Coca-Cola and Delta have also been criticized for their positions on the bill.
A similar movement developed in Hollywood two years ago in response to Georgia’s “pulsed” abortion bill, which a federal judge ruled unconstitutional last year, and a year earlier about. of anti-LGBTQ legislation.
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