The producer of the hit television series “The Walking Dead” and other major Hollywood film and TV studios said on Thursday they would reconsider locating productions in Georgia if a new state law restricting abortions takes effect.
Warner Media, CBS Corp, Viacom Inc, NBC Universal and “Walking Dead” producer AMC Networks Inc weighed in a day after Walt Disney Co’s chief executive, Bob Iger, told Reuters that many people will not want to work in Georgia if the law is implemented, making it “very difficult” for the company to film there.
The state law would ban abortions after a fatal heartbeat can be detected, at about six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. The law is due to take effect on Jan. 1, if it survives court challenges.
A Georgia tax credit has made the state a major hub for Hollywood productions, luring blockbuster movies such as Disney’s “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame,” and Netflix Inc series such as “Stranger Things.”
The state currently employs more than 92 000 people in the entertainment business, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.
The long-running zombie hit “The Walking Dead” has made the town of Senoia, Georgia, a tourist destination for fans.
CBS, owner of cable channel Showtime and the most-watched broadcast network in the United States, said the ability to attract talent was an “important consideration” and noted that “creative voices across our industry have expressed concern” about the Georgia law.
It is not the first time that Hollywood studios and other deep-pocketed organizations have opposed a state measure.
