A new comedy co-written and starring actress Kristen Wiig has been pulled from production in Georgia over Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signing pro-life legislation protecting unborn babies with detectable heartbeats (around six-weeks gestation) into law.
“Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo’s new comedy, ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,’ has pulled out of the state in light of its so-called ‘heartbeat bill,’” a rep for Wiig confirmed to Variety.
PageSix reported that “Wiig is a co-writer and star alongside Oscar nominee Mumolo in the movie, to be produced by Gloria Sanchez Productions and distributed by Lionsgate. A spokesperson for Lionsgate had no immediate comment.”
“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” according to a synopsis on IMDb, tracks “[t]he story of best friends Barb and Star, who leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to go on vacation in Vista Del Mar, Florida, where they soon find themselves tangled up in adventure, love, and a villain’s evil plot to kill everyone in town.”
According to CBS News, executive producers of “The Power” Jane Featherstone and Naomi De Pear have also canceled plans to shoot in Georgia over the pro-life legislation.
“We feel we have to stand up for a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body, and so while this is not a decision we have taken lightly, we feel strongly that it is the right one at this point in time,” the duo told CBS News in a statement.
As reported by The Daily Wire in March, some 50 actors signed onto a letter penned by actress and abortion activist Alyssa Milano to the Georgia House Speaker David Ralston and Gov. Kemp threatening the state over the pro-life legislation. Georgia has become a hotspot for the entertainment industry because of its 30% tax rebate for film and TV production, as noted by PageSix.
The Republican governor refused to cave, signing the bill into law earlier this month.
“I understand that some folks don’t like this new law. I’m fine with that,” Kemp said on Saturday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“We’re elected to do what’s right — and standing up for precious life is always the right thing to do. We are the party of freedom and opportunity. We value and protect innocent life — even though that makes C-list celebrities squawk,” he added.
In the face of sweeping pro-life legislation across the nation — such as Alabama’s outright ban on abortion save an exception for proctoring the life of the mother — Milano attempted to spark a “sex strike” to save abortion. How abstinence is supposed to save abortion might be perplexing to average folks like you and me, but we are not bestowed with the wisdom of Hollywood players like Milano.