By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Director Ryan Coogler is taking a different approach in regards to filming in Georgia. While several others in the cinematic community are calling for all film and TV productions to be taken out of the state in response to the controversial SB202 bill that many see as emblematic of voter suppression policies, Coogler said his film “Black Panther 2” will remain in the state.
Coogler wrote a guest column Friday that was released on multiple websites, among them Deadline and Shadow and Act. The column presented his reasons for this action. “While I wished to turn my concern into action, I could not do so without first being educated on the specifics of Georgia,” Coogler wrote. “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. What I will be doing is using my voice to emphasize the effects of SB202, its shameful roots in Jim Crow, and doing all I can to support organizations fighting voter suppression here in the state.”
The SB202 bill allows state officials to usurp the powers of county election boards, criminalizes passing out water and food to voters waiting in line at voter locations, adds an ID requirement for mail-in ballots and then limits the drop-off locations, adds new restrictions on the operating hours of polling locations, and blocks mobile voting, among other restrictive measures.
“Our film is staying in Georgia,” Coogler added. “Additionally, I have made a personal commitment to raise awareness about ways to help overturn this harmful bill, and continue to get educated on this matter from people on the ground. I will encourage everyone working with me to tap in with the local community directly affected by Senate Bill 202 and to leverage their influence and resources to aid in the fight for this particular and essential pillar of democracy.”
Coogler also said he would donate money to the organization Fair Fight Action and directed readers to the group’s website.
“Black Panther 2” is currently scheduled to hit theaters in 2022. Details on the film are still under wraps, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said there are no plans to recast the late Chadwick Boseman’s title role. Coogler is also developing a Wakanda spin-off series for Disney+.
