Will The Walking Dead stop filming and leave Georgia if anti-gay legislation deemed discriminatory to the LGBT community passes into law? The Hollywood establishment is all abuzz about Georgia’s anti-LGBT law that has passed the GA legislature and awaits Governor Nathan Deal’s signature. Major studios including Marvel and Disney threatened to pull projects out of Georgia if the law is signed. And “The Walking Dead” has now joined the crusade.
AMC made a statement saying “AMC Networks believes that discrimination of any kind is reprehensible.” So far Governor Deal hasn’t signed, but would “The Walking Dead” really give up its Georgia production if the bill is signed? Can they afford to leave the southern state?
Georgia offers huge incentives to filmmakers – The Hunger Games filmed there as did Captain America Civil War. And with AMC probably operating on a tighter budget, can they afford to walk away? Sure the State of GA makes money from movies but seems like the studios may benefit more…
Plus, Chandler Riggs – TWD’s Carl Grimes – lives in Georgia and goes to a local high school. Melissa McBride – Carol Peletier – also lives in Georgia. A lot of the production staff and crew are drawn from locals – and the legion of walker extras are mostly Georgia residents.
It seems like “The Walking Dead” pulling up stakes and finding somewhere else to film would be a massive (and costly) undertaking – possibly devastating. It’s one thing for a movie that’s a short term project to leave, but The Walking Dead has made itself part of the fabric of Georgia…
We’re not defending Georgia’s legislation – but it’s fair to point out that there are tons of states that have these laws, like them or not. Georgia and North Carolina are making news right now, but they are far from the only states with discriminatory legislation on the books.
You can check out a roster over on the Human Rights Campaign web site. It looks like more than half of the US states have discriminatory laws aimed at the LGBT community, so we have to wonder where “The Walking Dead” would go with so many other states having similarly sketchy laws already in place.
The reason studios have fled California is their oppressive tax conditions. Many productions simply can’t afford to work in Hollywood. Is The Walking Dead bluffing? If Governor Deal does sign the bill into law (which hopefully he won’t), can TWD afford to leave GA yet keep on making the show?
Or if they do leave, would AMC/TWD lose key cast, crew members, and extras by fleeing the state? Fingers crossed that Deal will cave to the intense media scrutiny and kick the bill back down to the legislature with a big red “VETO” on it but, if not, could this spell the end of “The Walking Dead”? Come Back to CDL for all your detailed TWD spoilers, recaps and news!
