Award-winning filmmaker and director Ron Howard is going ahead with plans to shoot his next movie, “Hillbilly Elegy,” in Georgia despite pressure to boycott the state amid widespread condemnation of its new anti-abortion law.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Howard and producer Brian Grazer said they “felt we could not abandon the hundreds of women, and men, whose means of support depend on this production – including those who directly contribute on the film, and the businesses in the community that sustain the production."
The state works to attract the film and TV industry, but according to THR, GOP Gov. Brian Kemp canceled a trip to Los Angeles next week fearing abortion rights protests and a poor turnout from entertainment industry executives who’ve condemned Georgia’s “heartbeat” bill outlawing most abortions as early as six weeks.
“We see Governor Kemp’s bill as a direct attack on women’s rights, and we will be making a donation to the ACLU to support their battle against this oppressive legislation. Should this law go into effect in January, we will boycott the state as a production center."
Actress Alyssa Milano and "The Wire" creator David Simon have already said they’ll boycott the state over the bill, The Hill reported.
Other states are moving in the same direction: Missouri's legislature Friday approved an abortion ban at eight weeks into pregnancy, and on Wednesday, Alabama's governor signed legislation outlawing almost all abortions, including in cases of rape or incest, The Hill reported.