If you watch any amount of television and film, you’ve seen the “Made in Georgia” emblem in the credits to something. Following the passing of a restrictive voting law, though, there’s been some question about whether various productions will pull out of the state and find a new place to film. Marvel Studios’ Black Panther 2 will stay in Georgia, though, director Ryan Coogler said in a new op-ed published in Shadow and Act.
“When I was informed of the passage of SB202 in the state, and its ramifications for the state’s voters, I was profoundly disappointed,” Coogler writes. “While I wished to turn my concern into action, I could not do so without first being educated on the specifics of Georgia. Having now spoken with voting rights activists in the state, I have come to understand that many of the people employed by my film, including all the local vendors and businesses we engage, are the very same people who will bear the brunt of SB202. For those reasons, I will not be engaging in a boycott of Georgia.”
Instead, Coogler writes, he intends to continually speak out about SB202 and its effects and ways to overturn it, as well as donating to appropriate organizations. In the piece, Coogler also asks the United States Senate to further consider passing the recently-introduced voting rights legislation, the For the People Act. While Coogler intends to stay in Georgia, at least one production, Will Smith’s Emancipation, has announced the intention to film elsewhere. James Mangold, director of Logan and the upcoming Indiana Jones 5, also said that he plans to boycott. Major League Baseball also pulled its July All-Star Game from the state. Atlanta-headquartered companies like Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines have spoken out against the law as well.
Black Panther 2 will begin filming in July and is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 8, 2022. Both Coogler and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige have stated that they will not recast the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred as King T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers Infinity War and Endgame films, and Black Panther.
