Production Companies Boycott Filming In Georgia After State Signs Off On New Abortion Law

Three production companies say they will no longer film in Georgia amid the state’s new abortion law.

This Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed a controversial law that bans an abortion once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, which can be seen as early as six weeks. During that time, a woman may not even be aware that she is pregnant. Now, Christine Vachon, chief executive officer of Killer Films; David Simon, creator of “The Wire” and “The Deuce” who is over Blown Deadline Productions; and Mark Duplass of Duplass Brothers Productions, along with others, are boycotting filming in the state until the law is changed.

“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,” he said, further explaining in another tweet: “Can only speak for my production company. Our comparative assessments of locations for upcoming development will pull Georgia off the list until we can be assured the health options and civil liberties of our female colleagues are unimpaired.” Producer Nina Jacobson, whose company Colorforce has produced box-office hits like “Rich Asians” and “American Crime Story,” quoted Simon’s tweet and wrote, “Ditto.”

Duplass also took to Twitter to address Georgia’s new legislation. “Don’t give your business to Georgia,” he wrote. “Will you pledge with me not to film anything in Georgia until they reverse this backwards legislation?” The same day, CounterNarrative films, which produced Netflix’s “Triple Frontier,” also confirmed its support of the Georgia filming ban. “No Georgia filming on any of our projects until this law is gone,” wrote producer Neal Dodson on Twitter.

For several years now, Georgia has been a budding location for TV and film production, including the history-making film #BlackPanther, as well as “The Walking Dead” and “Stranger Things.” Projects have contributed an estimated $2.7 billion from at least 455 productions, according to the governor’s office. The law is set to go into effect on January 1.