Will Smith, Antoine Fuqua Pull 'Emancipation' Production from Georgia Over New Voting Law

Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua have pulled their production of "Emacipation" from Georgia over the state's new voting restriction laws.

"At this moment in time, the nation is coming to terms with its history and is attempting to eliminate vestiges of institutional racism to achieve true racial justice," the actor and director said in a statement released on Monday. "We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access."

In late March, Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the legislation, which has been criticized as voter suppression. It includes restrictions on drop boxes, proof of identity for absentee voting and bans on food and water being delivered to voters waiting in line at polling stations. The State Election Board is now also able to remove and replace local election officials.

President Joe Biden referred to it as "Jim Crow in the 21st Century," while many corporations such as Coca-Cola and Delta denounced it as well. Major League Baseball even moved the All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver due to the law.

"The new Georgia voting laws are reminiscent of voting impediments that were passed at the end of Reconstruction to prevent many Americans from voting," continued Smith and Fuqua's statement. "Regrettably, we feel compelled to move our film production work from Georgia to another state."

The news comes as many prominent Black figures debate how Hollywood should handle the restrictive measures, with some supporting a boycott, while others feel it may be too detrimental to the people affected by the law.

"Boycotts work best when the target of your boycott is responsive, and unfortunately we are not dealing with good actors here," argued Stacey Abrams during a panel discussion on Friday. "The governor of Georgia is reveling in the potential of a boycott because it gives him someone to blame for his own actions."

"Unlike previous boycotts that have worked in the South, the length of time it takes for a boycott to take effect would be devastating to an economy, devastating to people, devastating to the targets of this terrible, vicious legislation."

"Emancipation" -- which was set to begin filming on June 21 -- follows the harrowing journey of Smith's character "Whipped Pete," an enslaved person who emancipated himself from a plantation and joined the Union Army.