Apple’s runaway slave flick Emancipation will no longer be filmed in Georgia following the state’s new restrictive election law, Deadline reported on Monday.
The film’s star Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua released a joint statement following the announcement explaining why they decided to move the movie’s production from Georgia.
“At this moment in time, the Nation is coming to terms with its history and is attempting to eliminate vestiges of institutional racism to achieve true racial justice. We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access,” the statement reads. “The new Georgia voting laws are reminiscent of voting impediments that were passed at the end of Reconstruction to prevent many Americans from voting. Regrettably, we feel compelled to move our film production work from Georgia to another state.”
It’s unclear where Apple, Smith, and Fuqua will take the film, but there have been talks of moving the set to Louisiana. In recent years, Georgia has become a hub for the film industry due to lucrative tax rebates. Despite this, the powers behind Emancipation are willing to take close to a $15 million hit in the name of morality and equality.
Last month, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law that created Jim Crow-esque voting restrictions. The overhaul of the state’s election laws includes several provisions that limit voter access. The law will expand early voting for primary and general elections, reduces the time to request absentee ballots, restricts the use of ballot drop boxes, and adds a photo ID requirement for those who vote by mail.
Emancipation isn’t the only big production/event that has pulled itself from Georgia following the bill’s ratification. The MLB also announced that it will no longer allow Atlanta to host its All-Star Game due to Georgia’s new controversial law. Denver and the Rockies will now host the 2021 All-Star Game
