While Hollywood remains the center of the known entertainment universe, plenty of other cities can lay claim to pretty large chunks of it. In Canada, Toronto and Vancouver have become popular filming locations because of their tax breaks and industry-friendly infrastructure. There is robust film and TV production in Chicago and New York, bustling cities that are home to pools of eager talent, plus thriving comedy and theater scenes (and more tax breaks). In the South, New Orleans beckoned—until 2015, anyway, when a $180 million cap was placed on film tax credits, decreasing the level of Hollywood traffic to the city.
However, no state has figured as much in recent years as Georgia, which has given more than $1 billion in tax credits to major production companies in the last decade. It is home to shows like The Walking Dead, once a ratings juggernaut, and numerous Marvel films, often shot at the Atlanta-based Pinewood Studios, as well as dozens of projects from streamers like Netflix, making it one of the most high-profile filming locations in the entire world. And yet, the state’s future has dimmed considerably in the wake of the abortion ban signed into law by Georgia governor Brian Kemp on May 7.
The law, nicknamed the “fetal heartbeat” bill, would ban abortion at the six-week mark (before most women are aware they are pregnant) and would allow the state to criminally prosecute women who get abortions elsewhere. Though it is not yet in effect, and faces possible years of legal challenges ahead of its implementation, its passage has sparked outrage from women’s health-care advocates and numerous Hollywood producers. Some, such as David Simon, Christine Vachon of Killer Films, and Mark Duplass have vowed to take their business elsewhere. Others, such as J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, who are shooting their upcoming series Lovecraft Country there, have said they will donate 100% of their episodic fees toward the ACLU of Georgia and Fair Fight Georgia, which are fighting the law. The controversy has posed a dilemma for producers who are repelled by the legislation, but don’t want to punish the hundreds of Georgia residents who depend on the local film and TV industry in order to make a living. Some have decided not to budge, for now. Tyler Perry’s namesake studio, for example—an Atlanta hub for his many hit movies and TV shows—has not intimated that it will pick up and move elsewhere. Many of the entertainment industry’s largest players including Netflix, Disney, AMC, NBC, and Viacom have played it relatively safe, taking public “wait and see” approaches.
A quick scan of the landscape showed a couple states eager to attract Hollywood’s attention in the meantime. In a statement to Vanity Fair, Illinois Film Office rep Peter Hawley noted that the state is working hard to court even more production in the wake of Georgia’s abortion ban. “The recent passage of ‘heartbeat’ bills in Georgia and Louisiana is anathema to the socially conscious film industry and in direct opposition to the progressive politics of this administration,” Hawley said. “We stand in solidarity with the actors, producers, and crew who are denouncing these draconian efforts to strip away women’s hard-won constitutional rights. The booming Illinois film community extends a warm invitation to productions seeking a home state whose values align with their own.” Chicago, home to bustling comedy and theater scenes, also has fairly robust film and TV production activity. In February, the Associated Press reported that more than $474 million was spent locally to produce more than 500 projects.
On June 4, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill increasing the state’s film incentive cap. The bid includes a bigger cash rebate offering to film and TV productions through 2027, offering its biggest tax breaks yet, per the press release. “I look forward to seeing how this legislation helps grow and diversity Oklahoma’s economy,” Stitt said in a statement. A healthy incentive to be sure, but Oklahoma is still a deeply red state that might present more dilemmas for mostly liberal Hollywood folk. Stitt, a Republican, signed a bill in April that required doctors who perform abortions to inform patients that drug-induced abortions may be reversible. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists opposed the bill, according to the Oklahoman, citing the lack of sound medical research behind the concept of reversible abortions. Prior to passing the bill, co-author Representative Mark Lepak said no medical professionals had been consulted while drafting the bill.
Currently, Illinois and Oklahoma are the two states making the most urgent bid to get Hollywood’s attention. And though other Southern and Midwestern states might seem like alternatives, given their proximity and shared climate, many pose similar issues because of the wave of recent regressive abortion bills. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah, all of which have recently passed abortion bans similar to the bill that was passed in Georgia. North Carolina recently attempted to pass a controversial abortion bill of its own as well.
Still, because the abortion ban has not gone into effect in Georgia, and because there will be major legal pushback from outlets like the ACLU, there is still time for Hollywood to remain put and continue along, business as usual. Few other states, despite current jockeying, have the massive studio infrastructure and the tax benefits that Georgia has, so it might retain its status when all is said and done.
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