Getty Republican Governor Brian Kemp just signed one of the most restrictive abortion bills the United States has ever seen. Celebrities across the country are boycotting the states lucrative film industry.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Tuesday, May 7th signed a bill that would outlaw abortion throughout the state if a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
BREAKING: Abortions after six weeks will now be illegal in Georgia as Gov. Kemp signs the “heartbeat bill” t.co/AlTe8U6HnA
Starting January 1st, 2020 House Bill 481, deemed Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, will ban abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The current law allows women to undergo abortion procedures within 20 weeks of their pregnancy.
HB 481 has stirred up loads of controversy, especially within Georgia’s film industry. Georgia has become a hot spot for film production over the past decade, even topping the list of states and countries where the most top 100 films were produced in 2016. The state brought in a whopping $2.7 billion in direct spending during 2018’s fiscal year.
Although Georgia has become a popular filming location throughout the 2010s, that could change due to HB 481, as several celebrities and production companies are pulling out their business from the peach state.
Here is a running list:
David Simon & His Production Company Blown Deadline Productions
GettyDavid Simon called for a boycott of Georgias film industry.
Just a day after Governor Kemp signed HB 481, David Simon, the creator of hit HBO series, The Wire announced his disdain for the bill.
“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,” Simon said in a tweet. “I must undertake production where the rights of all citizens remain intact. Other filmmakers will see this,” he added.
Simon followed up his initial tweet by replying to comments, responding to one Twitter user who felt like Simon was punishing freelancers in the industry.
You mistake my stance for tactics. I am not being tactical or strategic at all. I am simply stating what I am obliged to do to protect the rights of all of those who I ask to labor with me on any of my productions. My responsibility as an employer lies there.
“I am simply stating what I am obliged to do to protect the rights of all of those who I ask to labor with me on any of my productions,” Simon said. “My responsibility as an employer lies there.”
Christine Vachon & Killer Films
GettyChristine Vachon is boycotting Georgias film industry because of the recently signed into law heartbeat abortion bill.
Movie producer Christine Vachon and her production company Killer Films will no longer produce or shoot films in Georgia either.
Killer Films will no longer consider Georgia as a viable shooting location until this ridiculous law is overturned.
Vachon took to Twitter as well, calling Georgia’s ruling “ridiculous.” “Killer films will no longer consider Georgia as a viable shooting location until this ridiculous law is overturned,” her tweet read.
Vachon and Killer Films are known for their involvement in the independent film industry and films such as Poison, Vox Lux, I Shot Andy Warhol, Boys Don’t Cry and I’m Not There.
Mark Duplass
GettyMark – left – and his brother Jay – right – are boycotting the Georgia film industry.
Mark Duplass is an American film director, actor, writer, author and musician. Duplass is most well-known for his co-starring role in FX’s comedy The League.
Duplass who regularly partners with his brother, Jay Duplass, have started their own production company Duplass Brothers Productions. Both the brothers have produced television shows, films and have even written a book together. They are responsible for Safety Not Guaranteed, Togetherness, Wild Wild Country and Room 104, to name a few. They have also written the non-fiction book, Like Brothers. Mark Duplass has also directed 2011 comedy Jeff, Who Lives at Home.
Don’t give your business to Georgia. Will you pledge with me not to film anything in Georgia until they reverse this backwards legislation?
Duplass took to Twitter on the evening of May 9th to announce his disdain for the new Georgia law, putting out a sort of rhetorical all call to the rest of Hollywood.
“Don’t give your business to Georgia. Will you pledge with me not to film anything in Georgia until they reverse this backwards legislation?” Duplass tweeted.
Alyssa Milano & George Takei Speak Out
Both known actress and activist Alyssa Milano and former Star Trek star George Takei spoke out against the abortion bill on May 9th as well.
Although Takei did not call for a boycott directly, he condemned the law.
GettyGeorge Takei recently slammed the passing of Georgias heartbeat abortion bill.
Americans should have the same rights over their bodies no matter what state they live in. The abortion laws being passed in Georgia and Alabama create a system that oppresses women in those states simply because they happen to live there. Those laws must be struck down.
Takei tweeted that the laws that were passed “create a system that oppresses women in those states simply because they happen to live there.” Takei was referring to Alabama as well as Georgia, a state that was on the verge of passing a similar abortion ban.
Milano, who is currently filming the second season of Netflix’s Insatiable in Georgia told The Wrap that she will do whatever she can to get as many productions out of the state as possible.
Alyssa Milano calls for production companies to not shoot in Georgia after Republican Governor Brian Kemp passed one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country.
“I will do everything in my power to get as many productions as possible — including ‘Insatiable’ — to move out of this state which continues to put forth oppressive, hurtful policy that contradicts everything the entertainment industry stands for,” Milano said.
Both Milano and Takei spoke out about the bill when it was moving through the legislation earlier this year.
In March, Milano led the charge to protest HB 481 after it passed through the state Senate. As the bill traveled through Georgia’s state Congress, Milano organized and rallied other large Hollywood stars to come out and condemn the bill, calling it “bad for business.”
To @BrianKempGA & Speaker Ralston:
Attached, is an open letter signed by 50 actors against #HB481. On behalf of the undersigned–as people often called to work in GA or those of us contractually bound to work in GA–we hope you’ll reconsider signing this bill. #HBIsBadForBusiness
Milano’s letter to Governor Brian Kemp and Speaker of the Georgia House David Ralston mentions the love many in the film industry have for Georgia. “As actors, our work often brings us to Georgia. We’ve always found your state to be populated with friendly and caring people,” the letter says. “We’ve found the hotels in which we stay and restaurants in which we dine while filming there to be comfortable and of high quality. We’ve been glad to bring billions of dollars in revenue to support Georgia’s schools, parks, and communities.”
Milano and others then state their disdain for the progress HB 481 has made through Georgia’s Congress.
“But we cannot in good conscience continue to recommend our industry remain in Georgia if H.B. 481 becomes law,” the letter says.
Other notable celebrities who signed the letter include, Christina Applegate, Alec Baldwin, Don Cheadle, Laverne Cox, Minnie Driver, Rosie O’Donnell, Patton Oswalt, Ben Stiller and many more.
Although not many in Hollywood have come out to directly boycott filming in the state of Georgia, it is something to keep an eye on as more and more voices are coming forward to express their disdain for this Republican motivated legislation.
Milano has also recently called for a sex strike, calling to withhold sex from me until abortion laws similar to Georgia’s are no longer in place.
Our reproductive rights are being erased.
Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy.
JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back.
I’m calling for a #SexStrike. Pass it on.
“Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. JOIN ME by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back,” Milano said in a tweet on May 10th.
We can LOVE sex and fight for our bodily autonomy. There are lots of alternatives to cis men.
Protect your vaginas, ladies. Men in positions of power are trying to legislate them.
Milano used the themed pink X in another tweet saying there are other alternatives to cis-gendered men when it comes to sex.
“We can LOVE sex and fight for our bodily autonomy. There are lots of alternatives to cis men. Protect your vaginas, ladies. Men in positions of power are trying to legislate them,” Milano tweeted on May 11th.
J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele to Continue Filming in Georgia but Will Donate Profits to Fight ‘Heartbeat’ Law
J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele’s upcoming HBO horror show, “Lovecraft Country” will continue to be filmed in Georgia, but profits from the show will be donated to two non-profits that are actively leading the charge against Georgia’s new law.
“Lovecraft Country” is being executively produced by both Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. According to Variety, donations will flow to the ACLU of Georgia and Fair Fight Georgia, two non-profits fighting for abortion rights in the state of Georgia.
“Governor Kemp’s ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Abortion Law is an unconstitutional effort to further restrict women and their health providers from making private medical decisions on their terms. Make no mistake, this is an attack aimed squarely and purposely at women,” the two production companies said in a joint statement. “We stand with Stacey Abrams and the hardworking people of Georgia, and will donate 100% of our respective episodic fees for this season to two organizations leading the charge against this draconian law: the ACLU of Georgia and Fair Fight Georgia.”
The full statement from Bad Robot Productions and Monkeypaw Productions can be read below:
In a few weeks we start shooting our new show, “Lovecraft Country” and will do so standing shoulder to shoulder with the women of Georgia. Governor Kemp’s ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Abortion Law is an unconstitutional effort to further restrict women and their health providers from making private medical decisions on their terms. Make no mistake, this is an attack aimed squarely and purposely at women. We stand with Stacey Abrams and the hardworking people of Georgia, and will donate 100% of our respective episodic fees for this season to two organizations leading the charge against this draconian law: the ACLU of Georgia and Fair Fight Georgia. We encourage those who are able to funnel any and all resources to these organizations.
Ron Howard and Brian Grazer Will Continue to Film in Georgia, but Will Donate to ACLU
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s new Amy Adams-led Netflix film, Hillbilly Elegy, will continue to be filmed in Georgia.
Ron Howard (right) and Brian Grazer (left) have worked together on a variety of projects.
“After much thought and deliberation, we decided to continue with shooting Hillbilly Elegy in Georgia next month,” the Imagine Entertainment partners told The Hollywood Reporter. “We felt we could not abandon the hundreds of women, and men, whose means of support depend on this production – including those who directly contribute on the film, and the businesses in the community that sustain the production. We see Governor Kemp’s bill as a direct attack on women’s rights, and we will be making a donation to the ACLU to support their battle against this oppressive legislation. Should this law go into effect in January, we will boycott the state as a production center.”
Howard and Grazer appear to be looking to former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, Stacy Abrams, and taking her advice.
I respect the call for a boycott on Georgia, but I do not believe it is the most effective, strategic choice for change.
Jason Bateman is Boycotting Georgia
Jason Bateman, who is a producer and star of Netflix’s Ozark – which is filmed in Georgia, has come out against Georgia’s new bill which he says is “directly at odds” with women.
Jason Bateman
“If the ‘heartbeat bill’ makes it through the court system, I will not work in Georgia, or any other state, that is so disgracefully at odds with women’s rights,” Bateman tells The Hollywood Reporter.
This is a developing story.