Filmmakers Boycott Georgia After New Voting Law, But Why Won’t Hollywood?
Back in 2019, the state of Georgia passed a controversial abortion law that spurred panic across the country, so much so that it even attracted the attention of Hollywood. Back then, filmmakers toyed with the idea of boycotting the state. This time, Georgia has passed a law that restricts people’s voting rights and filmmakers are threatening to boycott again.
The restrictive new voting law has filmmakers questioning whether or not they should support the economy of a state that inhibits people’s right to vote.
What Exactly is This New Voting Law?
The new law inflicts severe damage to people’s ability to vote and seems to focus on people of color.
On Thursday, March 25, 2021, a new voting bill, known as Senate Bill 202, was passed in Georgia with support from governor Brian Kemp and fellow state republicans.
The law adds Saturday and Sunday as early voting days (compared to only Monday through Friday) which seemingly improves people’s chances to submit their ballot, right? Wrong.
Sure, some people may be getting an extra chance to vote on weekends, but many residents have reason to believe that the new early voting days are a scheme to get more white voters to the polls while many black residents attend church on Sundays, effectively outweighing the voices of a major demographic.
The law also forbids the handout of food and drink to voters waiting in line from someone other than a poll worker or police officer. It’s not uncommon for polling spots to dislike certain loitering, but this law won’t even let you bring your mom a snack, or your “grandma some water” said Georgia Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler.
Additionally, the time period available to obtain an absentee ballot will be decreased and will require more detailed identification when being submitted.
Dropbox availability and inventory will also diminish, only being available during early voting periods, and leaving many neighborhoods with fewer designated locations to submit their votes.
The mobile voting program, which is the shuttling of voters with disabilities or inhibitions to polling places, will also be eliminated.
James Mangold and Mark Hamill Are Among the First to Boycott
What does a voting law have to do with the film industry?
On paper, the bill has nothing to do with the film industry. It doesn’t affect the way the industry operates, or change Hollywood’s technical relationships with the state government. But it does affect the people working in the industry, and the people aren’t happy.
Award-winning director James Mangold, the man behind Logan, The Wolverine, and Ford V. Ferrari was the first to say that he “will not design a film in Georgia.” He insinuated that he’d rather give his money to a state that supports voter’s rights, not smushes them.
Mark Hamill, everyone’s favorite Jedi knight, was the second to comment, expressing his agreement with Mangold, and coining the hashtag #NoMoreFilmingInGeorgia. When asked if he was in favor of a boycott, Hamill said “absolutely.”
It all comes down to morals, and whether or not production companies feel comfortable supporting a state that blatantly strips away people’s voting rights, and, frankly, their basic human rights.
Tyler Perry, One of Georgia’s Biggest Film Contributors, Will Not Boycott
Tyler Perry, one of Hollywood’s most lucrative creatives, and one of Georgia’s largest film contributors caution against a boycott.
Perry explained that he’s been a Georgia-based business owner for many years and that he’s seen political situations like this many times. He hopes that the “[Department of Justice is] taking a hard look at this unconstitutional voter suppression law,” appearing optimistic that the law will fail just as the “anti-abortion bill and LGBTQ discrimination bill” did just a few years ago.
Perry condemns the bill, calling it a “shockwave through Georgia and the nation” that “harkens to the Jim Crowe era.” He’s against the bill, but can’t bring himself to boycott the state he holds most dear.
Boycotting Will Harm Georgia’s Economy and its People
Despite being against the bill, industry leaders like Tyler Perry have good reasons not to boycott.
Georgia has become one of the world’s largest film meccas in recent memory with companies like Disney and Netlfix actively shooting films like Avengers: Endgame and shows like Stranger Things near Atlanta. And with Tyler Perry’s massive creative endeavors and the immense amount of indie and commercial filmmaking, the state is becoming a film empire that can give Los Angeles a run for its money.
According to the Georgia Film Office, it was revealed that the film industry had generated $2.9 billion dollars for Georgia’s state economy in 2020, and had recorded nearly 400 production companies operating within the state in 2019. Not to mention that the industry itself has become a $10 billion machine.
Nearly $3 billion generated for Georgia? That’s a lot of money that can be used for state, neighborhood, and city repair or amenities, and a lot of production companies that can generate a lot of jobs for in-state residents.
Boycotting Georgia might feel good to those in strong opposition to the voting bill, but removing an entire industry from the state would result in thousands of employee layoffs and a harsh decline in Georgia’s income that could potentially harm the state’s economy wellbeing.
Where Will Filmmakers Go If Not Georgia? Back to LA?
Hollywood has been slowly moving from California to Georgia for decades, so what happens if everyone boycotts?
Production companies realized Georgia was a profitable state for many reasons such as tax breaks, leniency from a government authority, and ideal shooting locations, just to name a few. But this doesn’t mean it’s the only game in town.
Los Angeles is still booming and continues to offer numerous filming benefits which is why Hollywood began there in the first place. It already has an abundance of studios that could take some of the Georgia load, it has good weather and environment for shooting, and has high distribution and population traffic due to being in a major coastal city.
There have also been talks of Hollywood moving to New Mexico, which has been making changes to try and attract production companies with fancy tax deals.
Netflix has already purchased studio space in Albuquerque and plans to invest an additional $1 billion in their endeavors, bringing in a couple of thousand jobs. If that wasn’t enough, Netflix has also made plans to shoot Stranger Things season four at these new studios, a show that used to be filmed in Atlanta. Is this the start of a major Hollywood shift?
Unfortunately, New Mexico lacks certain characteristics that make places like Georgia and California so appealing for filmmaking, such as its bland environment. Despite its beauty, the state looks so blatantly like a dessert which restricts its ability to act as a wide variety of locations that Atlanta and Los Angeles can (cityscapes, outskirts, grassy rural terrain, harbors, etc.). You can’t film a Batman movie in Albuquerque and call it Gotham City, nor can you shoot on location for a film in need of a densely forested setting.
Summary
If Tyler Perry is right, then hopefully this voting bill won’t become law, and we can keep making movies in Georgia and hiring local workers. But even if it doesn’t pass, should we be expecting a shift to New Mexico anyway?
It’s safe to say that Georgia's film influence isn’t going away anytime soon, regardless of the voting bill. There is such a high volume of production companies, and creators like Tyler Perry, who love the state that it’s unrealistic to see filmmaking vanish from Georgia in the blink of an eye. But Netflix’s New Mexico investment does hint at a possible power-shift if the entertainment heavyweight were to boycott.
The concern over Georgia’s employment rate and economic health still remains, however. Should Hollywood be so quick to boycott, dismissing years of investment and people’s livelihoods, or should they push through the turmoil in hope of better days ahead? We’ll have to wait and see.
Opinions and Perspectives
Would rather see the industry fund voter registration than abandon ship.
How about using industry influence to pressure politicians instead of leaving?
These laws are awful but there must be better solutions than mass job losses.
My small business depends on film productions. A boycott would devastate us.
The industry brings progressive values to Georgia. Leaving only makes the state more conservative.
Instead of boycotting, why not fund voter registration drives and legal challenges?
I've trained so many local crew members in Georgia. Hate to see that investment wasted.
Los Angeles is already too expensive and crowded. We need regional film hubs.
This feels like deja vu from the abortion law boycott threats that went nowhere.
Why not use film industry resources to help people get proper voting ID instead?
A boycott would mainly hurt working people who had nothing to do with passing this law.
I'm proud of how Georgia's film industry has grown. We shouldn't give up on it now.
Seems like the boycott talk is coming from people who don't actually work in Georgia.
The film industry has helped make Georgia more politically diverse. Let's not throw that away.
Maybe invest in voter registration and legal challenges instead of empty boycott threats?
The law is terrible but abandoning Georgia only reduces progressive influence there.
We can oppose voter suppression without destroying an entire industry.
Have the boycott supporters considered how many minority-owned businesses would be affected?
My entire career is in Georgia film. Should I have to move across the country over this?
Netflix's move to New Mexico seems more about expansion than replacing Georgia.
The industry should stay and use its influence to push for change from within the state.
Interesting that Tyler Perry, who actually employs thousands in Georgia, opposes a boycott.
These boycott threats feel like virtue signaling from wealthy Hollywood figures who won't face the consequences.
A mass exodus would just leave Georgia more politically red. How does that help anyone?
Would love to see the industry put money into fighting voter suppression instead of threatening boycotts.
I work in Georgia film and most of us oppose these laws. Don't punish us for our state government's actions.
The law definitely needs to be fought, but there are better ways than putting thousands out of work.
Just moved my family to Atlanta for film work. A boycott would force us to start over somewhere else.
The law is awful but boycotts often hurt the wrong people. We need smarter tactics.
What about organizing film workers to protest instead of threatening their jobs with boycotts?
I've seen multiple productions transform entire Georgia communities. That economic impact matters.
New Mexico is beautiful but you can't shoot every type of scene there like you can in Georgia.
The film industry brings so much diversity and progressive values to Georgia. Why would we want to end that influence?
As someone who works in the industry, I'd rather stay and help fund voter registration efforts than abandon Georgia.
Remember when everyone threatened to boycott over the abortion law? Nothing changed except some people lost work.
Los Angeles is already overcrowded with productions. We need more film hubs, not fewer.
You can't claim to support diversity while threatening to leave a state with such a significant Black film workforce.
The timing couldn't be worse with the industry still recovering from COVID shutdowns.
Anyone suggesting a boycott probably doesn't understand how many working-class families rely on film production jobs.
I'm torn. I hate the law but also worry about my friends in the Georgia film industry losing their jobs.
The real solution is organizing politically and fighting these laws through proper channels, not abandoning ship.
My family runs a catering business serving film sets in Atlanta. A boycott would destroy everything we've built.
These laws are modern Jim Crow. Supporting Georgia's economy means being complicit in discrimination.
Netflix moving to New Mexico is interesting, but the landscape there is so limiting compared to Georgia's versatility.
I agree with Mark Hamill. We need to take a stand against voter suppression, even if it means short-term economic pain.
Has everyone forgotten how ineffective the previous boycott threats were? The abortion law still passed.
Having worked on several productions in Georgia, I've seen firsthand how much the local economy depends on film projects.
The law is clearly unconstitutional. Let's focus on legal challenges instead of boycotts that hurt working people.
What about all the progress Georgia's film industry has made in diversifying Hollywood? Would be sad to see that vanish.
If we really care about voting rights, we need to hit them where it hurts - their wallet. Money talks.
I spent years working my way up in Georgia's film industry. A boycott would devastate so many crew members and small businesses.
Tyler Perry makes a good point about staying and fighting for change from within. Running away won't solve the underlying issues.
The voting restrictions are clearly targeted at minority communities. We can't just ignore that and keep business as usual.
I understand the moral stance against this law, but pulling out of Georgia would hurt thousands of local film workers who depend on these productions for their livelihood.