Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JANUARY 18: (L-R) Actors Margo Martindale, Jason Bateman, and director Ron Howard attend the Weinstein Company & Netflix's 2014 SAG after party in partnership with Laura Mercier at Sunset Tower on January 18, 2014 in West Hollywood, California.
Jason Bateman and Ron Howard are the latest celebrities to boycott Georgia’s Heartbeat Abortion Bill. They have both pledged to stop filming their projects in the state if the abortion bill passes. They join a growing list of actors and producers that have either pledged to donate money to the ACLU or stop filming in the state altogether. The Georgia “heartbeat” bill has caused an uproar in Hollywood due to how many movies and TV shows are produced in the state.
Thank you, J.J. and Jordan!
This is an awesome way to fight the forced pregnancy bill.
J.J. Abrams & Jordan Peele Will Shoot HBO Drama ‘Lovecraft Country’ In Georgia But Donate Profits To Fight “Fetal Heartbeat” Law
#AlabamaAbortionBan #Alabama #AlabamaSenate #NoUterusNoOpinion #PlannedParenthood #ProChoice I love you Alabama prayers to all women and young girls here are my thoughts:
Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, partners and owners of Imagine Entertainment, are about to start filming their Netflix movie Hillbilly Elegy (starring Amy Adams) in Georgia. They released an exclusive joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “After much thought and deliberation, we decided to continue with shooting Hillbilly Elegy in Georgia next month,” adding, “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.”
Jason Bateman who’s currently filming his Netflix show Ozark and HBO’s The Outsider in the Peach state, and said if the heartbeat bill passes he will not work in Georgia. “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,” Movie studio MRC has declined to comment on the matter but reportedly made a donation to the ACLU.
Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed the “heartbeat” bill last Tuesday which bans abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy. The bill follows another controversial bill that was passed on Wednesday which bans abortions and could punish doctors who perform abortions with life in prison. The Alabama bill may be unenforceable due to the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
The state of Georgia offers 30% tax incentives for filmmakers and has become one of the hottest destinations for studios to film their content. Hollywood movie studios currently have over $3 billion invested in the state. While directors and actors have been vocal about their hatred of the bill, studios and executives have remained silent. There are currently 33 movies and TV shows being filmed in Georgia including Stranger Things, VEEP, The Conjuring 3, and The Walking Dead.