Ryan Coogler on Keeping Black Panther 2 in Georgia

by Rebecca Kaplan · April 19, 2021

In a guest column for Deadline, Black Panther and Black Panther 2 director explained his decision to keep the production of the upcoming sequel in Georgia in spite of a restrictive new voting law, which has compelled some other productions to pull out of the state.

Currently in Georgia

The controversy arises from the passage of Senate Bill 202, a law that imposes unnecessary voting restrictions which will disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

Apple’s Will Smith-Antoine Fuqua Runaway Slave Thriller ‘Emancipation’ To Exit Georgia Over Recent Election Law https://t.co/CM3d4NaLxY

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) April 12, 2021

In response to the passage of the law, some productions have pulled out of the state, including the upcoming Will Smith movie Emancipation. According to an article on People.com, Smith and director Antione Fuqua, said that they could not in good conscience afford to monetarily support to “a government that enacts regressive voting laws.”

Black Panther 2: Coogler’s Perspective

As Coogler explained in his guest column for Deadline, he feels that removing the production of Black Panther 2 from Georgia would only serve to further punish those who are already negatively affected by the passage of SB202: the voters of Georgia.

Thank you to Ryan Coogler and #BlackPanther2 for staying in Georgia and fighting for access to democracy. #gapol #WakandaForever https://t.co/C6LStZXiur

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) April 17, 2021

That being said, Coogler’s column stated that he was committed to raising awareness about the unjust law.

“I will encourage everyone working with me to tap into the local community directly affected by Senate Bill 202 to leverage their influence and resources to aid in the fight for this particular and essential pillar of democracy,” wrote Coogler, going on to note that he would be donating to Fair Fight Action, which you can do to through the organization’s Twitter account.

Now more than ever, we need everyone in the fight for free and fair elections and supporting federal reform with #S1 and the #VRAA.

Learn more here: https://t.co/dGHNmSZwD8 3/

— Fair Fight (@fairfightaction) April 16, 2021

In addition to Black Panther 2, Coogler’s production company, Proximity Media, is currently working on a Wakanda series for Disney+.

Other Productions Head Down Under the Rainbow

Meanwhile, previous reports have indicated that many Marvel Studios productions were already heading to locales other than Georgia, including Down Under. However, that seems to be motivated primarily by filming restrictions associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic rather than restrictive voting laws.