Georgia responds to California Gov. Gavin Newsom telling studios to pull film, TV productions from state

ATLANTA - California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking film and television studios to stop filming in Georgia.  

In a new re-election campaign ad, Newsom points to the state’s restrictive abortion policies.

Em Fergusson, the Marketing & Communications Chair with the Georgia Production Partnership, said GPP’s focus will stay behind the lens.

"People are going to say things and have been saying things for years but our goal and our focus is to really encourage folks in the industry to keep pressing on," said Fergusson.

Newsom’s move is more than a public plea as he’s endorsing $1.65 billion dollars in California tax credit through 2030.

That could provide incentives for studios to stay in California or even attempt to poach projects from places like Georgia.

"I can’t speak to what they have going on in California but I do know that Georgia has been one of the top film destinations in the county," said Fergusson.

Governor Brian Kemp announced this week, Georgia’s film industry brought in a record $4.4 billion in the 2022 fiscal year.

FOX 5 reached out to his office for comment and a spokesperson said, "Georgia is a top location for film and television production, and we'll continue to focus on the things that have brought us success and led to record-setting results."

"I do feel that production companies will continue to come to the state and continue to create content here," said Fergusson.