--- description: Walt Disney's CEO Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" to continue filming in Georgia should the anti-abortion law come into effect title: Disney May Leave Georgia If Abortion Ban Takes Effect image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt153bd22578d10e28/69894a90b3fce3288b0c3aeb/disney-ceo-bob-iger.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Georgia's Abortion Ban Will Make It 'Very Difficult' to Work There by [Hillary Leung](/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 30, 2019 6:07 AM CUT  Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger delivers remarks during an event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2012. Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger delivers remarks during an event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2012.Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images by [Hillary Leung](/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 30, 2019 6:07 AM CUT Walt Disney’s CEO Bob Iger said the company [would find it difficult to continue](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-abortion-walt-disney-exclusive/exclusive-disney-ceo-says-it-will-be-difficult-to-film-in-georgia-if-abortion-law-takes-effect-idUSKCN1T003X?utm%5Fmedium=Social&utm%5Fsource=twitter "undefined") filming in Georgia if the state’s controversial abortion ban takes effect, Reuters reports. “I rather doubt we will,” Iger said when asked if Disney would maintain their production there. “I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard.” Earlier this month, Georgia legislators [passed a bill](http://time.com/5557435/georgia-senate-passes-heartbeat-abortion-ban-bill/ "undefined") banning almost all abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is about six weeks into a pregnancy and before many women even know they are pregnant. The measure makes exceptions in the case of rape and incest — but only if the woman files a police report or if her life is in danger — and if the pregnancy [is deemed](http://time.com/5591166/state-abortion-laws-explained/ "undefined") “medically futile” due to a fetal anomaly. Iger said it would be “very difficult” to continue filming in Georgia should the law come into effect in January next year. Disney follows in the footsteps of Netflix, which said [earlier this week](http://time.com/5596873/netflix-georgia-abortion-bill/ "undefined") that the company would “rethink” its “entire investment in Georgia” if the ban takes effect. And director Reed Morano, who won an Emmy for directing three episodes of Hulu’s _The Handmaid’s Tale_, [canceled her trip](http://time.com/5592768/georgia-abortion-law-film-tv-industry/ "undefined") to the state where she had planned to scout locations for her new Amazon show. “There is no way we would ever bring our money to that state by shooting there,” Morano told TIME. Georgia boasts a [thriving film industry](http://time.com/longform/hollywood-in-georgia/ "undefined") due to generous tax breaks. Dubbed the “Hollywood of the South,” the state has been the film set of popular television shows like _The Walking Dead_ and _Stranger Things._ Marvel also opened a studio near Atlanta in 2014, where _Black Panther_, _Avengers: Infinity War_ and _Ant-Man and the Wasp_ were all shot. The state is one of eight to pass sweeping anti-abortion legislation this year. Alabama, which passed a ban on [nearly all abortions](http://time.com/5589427/alabama-abortion-bill-senate/ "undefined") even in the case of rape and incest, will have the strictest abortion laws in the U.S. Missouri, Mississippi and Ohio are [also moving toward](http://time.com/5591166/state-abortion-laws-explained/ "undefined") restricting access to abortion. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5598000/disney-bob-iger-georgia-abortion/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5598000/disney-bob-iger-georgia-abortion/"},"headline":"Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Georgia's Abortion Ban Will Make It 'Very Difficult' to Work There","datePublished":"2019-05-30T06:07:11.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T23:37:50.489Z","description":"Walt Disney's CEO Bob Iger said it would be \"very difficult\" to continue filming in Georgia should the anti-abortion law come into effect","url":"https://time.com/5598000/disney-bob-iger-georgia-abortion/","keywords":["Television","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt153bd22578d10e28/69894a90b3fce3288b0c3aeb/disney-ceo-bob-iger.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Hillary Leung","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/hillary-leung/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt153bd22578d10e28/69894a90b3fce3288b0c3aeb/disney-ceo-bob-iger.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"disney-ceo-bob-iger.jpg","caption":"Michelle Obama And Disney CEO Robert Iger Hold News Conference On Disney's Nutritional Guidelines","creditText":"Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5598000/disney-bob-iger-georgia-abortion/","name":"Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Georgia's Abortion Ban Will Make It 'Very Difficult' to Work There"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Georgia's Governor Signs Heartbeat Abortion Ban Legislation","description":"Georgia’s Republican Gov. 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