Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger warned that it would be “very difficult” for the company to make films in Georgia if a new abortion restriction becomes law, saying many people will not want to work in the Peach State.
“I rather doubt we will,” Iger said in an exclusive interview with Reuters when asked if the company would film in Georgia. “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.”
“I don’t see how it’s practical for us to continue to shoot there” if the law takes effect, he added.
{mosads}Disney has filmed major blockbusters like “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame” in Georgia, and a boycott could impact the state’s efforts to attract entertainment companies to film there.
The Peach State offers a tax credit that has attracted many film and TV projects to be produced in Georgia, with the entertainment industry creating 92,000 jobs there, according to Reuters.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed a bill into law earlier this month that would ban abortions after doctors detect a fetal heartbeat, which occurs around six weeks into a pregnancy. The law would take effect at the beginning of next year if it survives court challenges.
Georgia joined a slate of Republican-governed states that have recently signed abortion restrictions into law, with many advocates of the movement saying they hope the laws lead to a Supreme Court case that could overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that was the first to legalize abortion.
Several high-profile actors and producers have already said they will not work in Georgia over the abortion law.
Netflix announced Tuesday that while it could currently continue working in the state, it would begin working with the American Civil Liberties Union to “fight” against the legislation and “rethink” its productions in Georgia if the law goes into effect.