House Bill 757, the pending “religious law,” has drove major networks such as Disney, Time Warner, Sony Pictures, NFL, & AMC to boycott filming in Georgia. The law suggests that religious officials and businesses are allowed to legally turn away same-sex couples, which opponents perceive as anti-gay.
Several business including Google, Microsoft, and Verizon have formed a coalition suggesting Governor Nathan Deal to not move forward with the bill. Georgia has become No. 3 in the country for film and television, but if the governor decides to move forward with the bill, the economy is bound to suffer. The industry’s revenue of $6 billion has tremendously shaped the health of Georgia’s economy.
Even one of the most popular shows filmed in Georgia, “The Walking Dead,” has threatened to walk away with the rest of Hollywood. Film companies in California and New York are standing by in hopes of reviving their industry back to the way it used to be, before Georgia’s low taxes which initially attracted the film industry to the Peach State. A statement from the governor himself concerning the issue has not been released.
An open letter signed by Hollywood elites such as Anne Hathaway, Julianne Moore, Seth MacFarlane, and Lee Daniels has also been sent to the governor in protest of the bill. Governor Deal has until May 3rd to sign or veto the already infamous Bill.