A SCOTUS ruling and a conservative legislature in Georgia could be leading to film industry conflict almost immediately.
The following article is not intended to be political or partisan in any way. That Park Place is not a political website nor do we take any political position. This article simply intends to relay the facts, as best as the author sees them, in regards to industry conflict within and around Atlanta. Note how careful this article is to not take a side or a position.
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We’ve all seen and heard the title card and soundbite that follows many TV shows and big budget blockbuster films. “Made in Georgia” it says with the iconic peach symbol. For more than a decade, the state of Georgia, particularly Atlanta, advertised itself as the best place in the world for Hollywood to make money. The film industry loved all the incentives and the studio setups were uniquely wonderful for just what production crews need. Something the conservatives who crafted the film pitch might never have envisioned, however, was Hollywood flooding the state and attempting to move it towards its coastal values.
The ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States today sets up an additional level of stress for the southeastern state and the film crews that live in it. Many transplants from California and New York don’t share the same vision for the state of Georgia that the citizens do. This article makes no claim as to which side is right, only that conflict is rising. For many of these young film crew members are not well-to-do; they aren’t the elite celebrities who fly in and out on a regular basis. They hope from production set to production set, from movie to show, to show to movie. They make a decent wage, but not sufficient to globetrot. They’ve moved to Georgia for the opportunity to work in the film industry with an atmosphere that is affordable whereas southern California has a far higher cost of living.
There are other states where the battle is pointless. Texas has significant entertainment production, yet that state seems harder and harder to see moving from its solidly red position. Likewise, Florida with its massive theme park investments is all the more conservative with each passing day. Tennessee’s Nashville is one of the biggest entertainment production locales in the country, but that state is also one of the most red out there. Again, I’m not disparaging red states or blue states — I want to be completely apolitical in the way I approach this. Georgia, however, is winnable by the socially liberal and leftist communities. It’s also where many of the Marvel movies and more get made. That’s why this ruling today is gearing up the Peach State for one heck of a political battle later this year. Hollywood can’t easily leave Georgia and the conservatives that live there don’t particularly want to give it up either.
As a woman, I am enraged by the continued assault on our right to control our bodies + our futures.
As an American, I am appalled by the SCOTUS breach & its implications.
As the next Governor of Georgia, I will defend the right to an abortion and fight for reproductive justice.
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) May 3, 2022
Companies like Amazon and Levi Strauss are willing to pay for their employees to travel for an abortion if they live in a state where such is prohibited at the time they wish to have one. But that may not be enough for companies like The Walt Disney Company, AMC, Netflix, etc, who have major enterprise in Georgia and have young crews who likely won’t want to make a sudden trip that will reveal their motivation. These companies may seek to ramp up political donations, political influence, and political posturing in Georgia. Although Disney tried the same in Florida with little success and much injury, the entertainment corporations had a different outcome in North Carolina years ago with the issue of transgender restrooms.
So will major film industry corporations put pressure on Georgia to allow abortions after six weeks (the current law as of today there)? Or will they take note of how Disney fared in getting involved with the culture war earlier this year? It’s all fascinating from a study of economics and politics. From the issue of a culture war that I don’t want to escalate, however, it is daunting. I worry that we are just at the beginning of even more division and tumult in places like Georgia where both sides have vested interest and a strong chance to win. For writers like WDW Pro who have advocated for moderated and neutral entertainment, this may make that less likely.
I suppose what we should all hope for in wake of this historic day is for cooler heads to rise, for the country to heal, and for entertainment corporations to take a leading role in restoring apolitical opportunities to unite together. I’m afraid though that there is reason to doubt that’s the future ahead in the short term.
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