California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday took out a full-page ad in Variety to urge Hollywood to "walk the walk" on its value and avoid shooting in states waging a "cruel assault on essential rights."
"Hollywood: your values, you choice," the ad begins, touting California as the "best place in America to create" and the "home for storytelling and story tellers" for over 100 years. It mentions the "robust tax incentives" and "the best culture" for creators, adding: "Most importantly, we share your values."
"Over the past several years, the legislatures of states like Georgia and Oklahoma have waged a cruel assault on essential rights," the ad says, adding that those states have now moved to limit abortion rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade's reversal.
"Today more than ever, you have a responsibility to take stock of your values and those of your employees when doing business in those states," it continues, adding that California is a "freedom state" that supports access to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
"So to those in power to make decisions about where to film, where to hire, where to open new offices, we in California say: Walk the walk," the ad finishes. "Choose freedom. Choose creativity. Choose California."
More film and television productions are shot in California than any other state, followed by New York and Texas, but some relatively unexpected states are high up on the list. Georgia, for instance, has become a major shooting location, largely due to its "production-friendly" tax program. It's also among the red states cracking down on abortion, with a six-week ban in the state that took effect last month.
Newsom's ad is just the latest example of him targeting Republican states. In an television ad that aired in Florida last month, the California Democrat said "freedom is under attack in your state" and urged residents to come to California.