Disney CEO Bob Iger says it’ll be ‘very difficult’ to film in Georgia if abortion law holds
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger said it would be “very difficult” for the company to continue filming in Georgia if the state’s abortion law goes into effect.
Iger said Wednesday he believes Disney employees would not want to film or work in Georgia if that's the case.
“I rather doubt we will,” Iger told Reuters. “I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now we are watching it very carefully.”
Disney has filmed some of its major blockbusters in the Peach State, including “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
Earlier this month, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the House Bill 481 into law. The law bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, except in the case of rape or incest. It’s slated to go into effect in January 2020.
If the legislation goes into effect there in January, Iger said he didn’t see “how it’s practical for [Disney] to continue to shoot there.”
Earlier this week, Netflix said it would “rethink our entire investment” in the state should the law go into effect. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement that the streaming giant will work with the American Civil Liberties Union and others to fight the law in court.
Since Kemp signed the law, many celebrities and television industries have said they would refuse to take their productions to Georgia.
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Jason Bateman, whose show “Ozark” films in Georgia, told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month he would stop working in the state if the legislation goes into effect. Kristen Wigg and Annie Mumolo announced they were relocating their film “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” after the bill was signed into law.
Due to tax credits, Atlanta has become a major hub of TV and film and television productions such as AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” The state, dubbed "the Hollywood of the South," is the most popular filming location in the U.S.
According to the Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA], the film and television industry is responsible for some 92,000 jobs in the state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.