Disney, Viacom, AMC Speak Out Against Georgia's Anti-Gay Bill
The Georgia legislature has sent a religious liberty bill to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal, who has until May 3 to decide whether or not to sign it.
Disney and its Marvel Studios film unit will not shoot future movies in Georgia if a controversial bill that critics contend would legalize anti-gay discrimination is signed by that state's governor. Viacom as well as the AMC Networks, which films The Walking Dead in the state, has called on Gov. Nathan Deal to veto the legislation.
"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," a company spokesman said Wednesday.
Marvel has filmed such movies as Ant-Man and the upcoming Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in Atlanta, taking advantage of Georgia's attractive tax incentives. While Disney's statement specifically mentioned Marvel, other Disney units like ABC Studios and Disney Studios would also take part in the boycott.
AMC, which produces the hit series The Walking Dead, which is set to begin filming its seventh season in Georgia in May, did not commit itself to joining a boycott, but it has come out against the proposed law, issuing a statement that 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.
On Wednesday afternoon, Viacom, the parent company of Paramount, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, VH1, Spike and MTV, also called on Georgia's governor to reject the legislation.
"Viacom is proud to champion diversity and acceptance, which are core values of our company," a company spokesperson stated. "We have enjoyed doing businesPost too long. Click here to view the full text.