A-list director and producer Ron Howard says he will boycott Georgia if the anti-abortion bill goes into effect.
Following the signing of Georgia’s abortion bill, Hollywood filmmakers and actors have voiced their opinion and vowing to boycott filming in the state. Now, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard says he will boycott Georgia if the state’s “Heartbeat Bill” goes into effect next year.
Howard told The Hollywood Reporter that Imagine Entertainment, which he owns with Brian Grazer, will continue with filming their new movie “Hillbilly Elegy” next month. “We 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, Howard said. “We see Gov. 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.”
Ronald William Howard is an American filmmaker and actor. Howard is best known for playing two high-profile roles in television sitcoms in his youth and directing a number of successful feature films later in his career. Howard is the co-chairman, with Brian Grazer, of Imagine Entertainment. Imagine Entertainment is a film and television production company. Imagine has produced several films including Friday Night Lights, 8 Mile, and Inside Deep Throat, as well as the television series 24, Felicity, and Arrested Development.
Until recently, no film or production company now doing business in Georgia has stopped any projects following the new law. Alyssa Milano, one of the most vocal opponents of the bill, is still filming the Netflix series “Insatiable” in Georgia.
That said, JJ Abrams and his production company Bad Robot, along with Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, are filming their new HBO series “Lovecraft Country” in Georgia. But, the companies will be donating all proceeds from the series to Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams’ organization, Fair Fight Georgia, and the ACLU of Georgia.
