Another major Hollywood company is taking a stance against Georgia’s new abortion law, threatening to move production from the state, which has attracted big movie and television projects because of its generous tax credit program.
WarnerMedia — the parent company of movie giant Warner Bros. and cable networks HBO, TNT and TBS, among other entertainment properties — on Thursday joined Netflix and Disney in saying that it will “reconsider” doing business in Georgia if the abortion law takes effect.
“We will watch the situation closely and if the new law holds we will reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions. As is always the case, we will work closely with our production partners and talent to determine how and where to shoot any given project,” the company said in a statement, which also noted that “we do respect due process.”
Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, said Tuesday that the streaming giant would “rethink our entire investment in Georgia” if the law is implemented.
On Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger similarly said it would be “very difficult” for Disney to continue filming in the state if the law moves forward.
A handful of stars and producers have moved their projects from Georgia or have pledged not to work there in protest of the new law, which bans abortions around six weeks of pregnancy.
But most of Hollywood has taken a wait-and-see approach to the ban, as it will not go into effect until at least 2020 and will likely face a lengthy legal battle.
An economic boycott of the state could put a financial strain on film and television workers, a concern cited by former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and a group of women working in Georgia’s entertainment industry who circulated a petition advocating against a boycott.
In fiscal year 2018, 455 movie and television productions filmed in Georgia, generating $2.7 billion in direct spending in the state, the governor’s office said last year.
Some film and television industry members, including directors J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, whose HBO show “Lovecraft Country” is set to film in Georgia, have pledged to donate their salaries to organizations working to fight the ban.