Disney and its Marvel Studios have decided not to shoot future movies in the state if the controversial bill is passed.
The state of Georgia in the United States is considering a religious liberty bill which will allow ministers to refuse performing same-sex marriages and faith-based organisations to discriminate against non-believers. The legislation will allow businesses to discriminate and deny service to LGBT people on the basis of religious belief, including those religious organisations funded by taxpayers.
The bill is pending approval of the governor of Georgia Nathan Deal who has until May to sign the bill. Hollywood studios like Disney, AMC, and Viacom have now spoken against the bill.
Disney and its Marvel Studios have decided not to shoot future movies in the state if the controversial bill is passed, reports The Hollywood Reporter. In a statement issued by Disney, the studio said, "Disney and Marvel are inclusive companies, and although we have had great experiences filming in Georgia, we will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law."
Marvel has shot movies like Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War in the state of Georgia. They are currently shooting Guardians of Galaxy 2 in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia.
The reason studios have preferred shooting in Georgia is that the tax incentives provided by the state are more lucrative than others. They provide tax credits up to 30%.
For the same reason, AMC and Viacom also prefer shooting in Georgia. AMC is currently filming the seventh season of their wildly popular show The Walking Dead. They are not joining the boycott but in their statement, AMC said, "As a company, AMC Networks believes that discrimination of any kind is reprehensible. We applaud Governor Deal's leadership in resisting a previous version of this divisive legislation and urge him to reject the current version as well."
Viacom too has spoken in the language, "We have enjoyed doing business in Georgia for many years and we urge Governor Deal to continue to resist and reject the patently discriminatory laws being proposed."
Last year, over 200 movies and series were filmed in Georgia. The fiscal year 2015 saw these companies spend over $1.7 billion in the state, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
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 "Gerogia, Anti-LGBT law, Marvel, Disney, AMC, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, The Walking Dead, Hollywood")
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