Georgia's Abortion Legislation Could Drive Netflix Out

Netflix says filming in Georgia will go on, but if the state's new legislation imposing new restrictions on abortions takes effect, that could change. "We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law," Ted Sarandos of Netflix said in a statement, CNBC reports. If the legislation takes effect, said Sarandos, the company's chief content officer, "We'd rethink our entire investment in Georgia." In the meantime, Netflix plans to fight the legislation in court, along with the ACLU.

Calls in the entertainment industry to boycott Georgia have drawn opposition from women who work in the state, per the Los Angeles Times. An online petition urges the entertainment industry to stay in Georgia and use its clout and money on behalf of groups helping women affected by the legislation. The petition says Georgia entertainment workers will be "the resistance from the inside." Since a 2008 law offering tax credits and other incentives took effect, Georgia has been the No. 1 state for location filming, per the Gwinnett Daily Post. In fiscal 2018, Hollywood spent $2.7 billion in the state, and an infrastructure, including studios and stages, has sprung up. Putting that "Filmed in Georgia" logo in a film's credits ups the tax credits another 10%, Variety reports. (Two productions won't be filmed in Georgia after all.)