Some Production Companies Plan To Halt Filming In Georgia Over Anti-Abortion Law
A production crew works in downtown Atlanta on a film in 2016. Some production companies are saying they plan to halt filming in Georgia after Gov. Brian Kemp this week signed a new anti-abortion bill into law, one of the strictest in the country.
Mike Stewart / Associated Press file
Some production companies say they’re planning to halt filming in Georgia.
That’s because Gov. Brian Kemp signed a new anti-abortion bill into law this week.
The new law bans most abortions as soon as cardiac activity is detected in the womb. That’s generally around six weeks.
David Simon, who runs Blown Deadline Productions, tweeted he must “undertake production where the rights of all citizens remain intact.”
I can’t ask any female member of any film production with which I am involved to so marginalize themselves or compromise their inalienable authority over their own bodies. I must undertake production where the rights of all citizens remain intact. Other filmmakers will see this. https://t.co/V2xDPKiMpo
— David Simon (@AoDespair) May 8, 2019
Simon created hit series, like “The Wire.”
The CEO of Killer Films tweeted something similar.
Christine Vachon said her company can “no longer consider Georgia as a viable shooting location until this ridiculous law is overturned.”
Killer Films will no longer consider Georgia as a viable shooting location until this ridiculous law is overturned.
— Christine Vachon (@kvpi) May 9, 2019
Still, as the law will likely be challenged, others are taking a wait-and-see approach.
That includes the Motion Picture Association of America, or the MPAA, which represents major film studios.
“Film and television production in Georgia supports more than 92,000 jobs and brings significant economic benefits to communities and families,” an MPAA spokesman stated, in a statement. “It is important to remember that similar legislation has been attempted in other states, and has either been enjoined by the courts or currently being challenged. The outcome in Georgia will also be determined through the legal process. We will continue to monitor developments.”
While it was signed, the new law has not yet taken effect. It’s slated to take effect Jan. 1.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.
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