Disney Threatens to Stop Filming In Georgia Over Abortion Legislation

Bob Iger, Disney

The entertainment goliath known as Disney has now said it too will pull out of filming in Georgia over its “heartbeat bill” which prevents the abortion of a baby if a heartbeat is detected.

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The first company to pull out of Georgia was Netflix, but as RedState’s Sarah Lee covered on Wednesday, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has a history of donating to pro-life Republicans.

Now it appears that Disney is geared to walk away from the state according to a report from Reuters. Disney CEO Bob Iger said it would be “difficult” to continue shooting their movies there, as many of its cast and crew will not want to work in a pro-life state:

Asked if Disney would keep filming in Georgia, Iger said it would be “very difficult to do so” if the abortion law is implemented.

“I rather doubt we will,” Iger said in an interview ahead of the dedication for a new “Star Wars” section at Disneyland. “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.”

If the law takes effect, “I don’t see how it’s practical for us to continue to shoot there,” he added.

Georgia has become a hotbed for production companies due to tax credits available for shooting in Georgia. The industry has so far created 92,000 jobs in the state. Disney itself has shot two recent blockbusters there, Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther.

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At this time, neither Netflix or Disney have pulled out of the state yet as the bill is not law. Even then, it’ll be interesting to see how these companies will react if and when it does. Filming in Georgia is lucrative and less expensive overall for these production companies, and we’ll see who can hold on to their principles more tightly, Georgia or Hollywood.

I’m betting on Georgia.

Besides, children are Disney’s primary target. They should have a vested interest in pro-life causes, especially Georgia’s. Every birth is a potential customer. For Disney, Georgia is worth more than a tax credit, it’s a source of revenue. This isn’t even considering the loss it will take due to potential boycotts from pro-life families. With its streaming service about to launch, Disney would do well to make middle-class families as happy as possible in order to maximize profits.

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