![]() Studios went on a voracious pandemic spree for straight-to-streaming content, which helped Wilmington see its highest windfall to date in 2021 at $303 million (adjusted for inflation, the expenses are comparable to previous local peaks in 20).Īnd 2021 lured a lot of big titles into town, including The Summer I Turned Pretty, Hightown, and Florida Man, showing the Wilmington film scene could return with vengeance. Kirk Englebright, who owns mattress stores and had no previous film experience, purchased the property thinking he’d use it for something else, but quickly pivoted when he got calls asking to rent it out amid an overflowing demand for studio space. That show was among the first projects to use Dark Horse Studios’ new space in a former warehouse. Shannon had just starred in Showtime’s George & Tammy alongside Jessica Chastain, which filmed in Wilmington in 2021. Last year, the city netted Eric LaRue, Michael Shannon’s directorial debut, after Arkansas banned most abortions following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. ![]() Sometimes, those political whims work in Wilmington’s favor. Pre-2014, feature-length films could get up to a $20 million rebate, and there was no limit for series now, the maximum movie rebate is $7 million and the series ceiling is $15 million per season. And as the past decade has shown, the industry is sensitive to fluctuating political whims.įor example, North Carolina’s 2012 “bathroom bill,” which banned transgender individuals from using public restrooms associated with their gender identity, prompted the creators of Netflix’s much-devoured Outer Banks to film in South Carolina instead.Īnd in 2014, state legislators let the film incentive program expire, which sent projects and people packing to Atlanta–a decision that nearly wiped Wilmington’s film scene into obscurity. Roughly 1,000 people work in the industry in Wilmington today, according to Griffin.Ī career in film has its perks, but it is often gig-based, with unpredictable and long hours. “We view this as the beginning of the next chapter in Wilmington film,” said Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, Inc. Īs a big Hollywood studio with a global footprint, Cinespace is clearly betting on Wilmington film’s resurgence. The project will add two new sound stages here, the first new construction catering to feature-length productions in more than a decade.Īnd last month, Cinespace Studios acquired Wilmington’s flagship film mecca, EUE/Screen Gems studio, as well as its sister studio in Atlanta, where Stranger Things films. As its name suggests, the newcomer is preparing to make a big splash. In August, Dark Horse Studios broke ground on a $20 million expansion. Industry strikes may have quelled filming and no major projects are currently underway, but Wilmington’s film scene is readying for a renewal. ![]() Dark Horse Studios broke ground on its $20 million expansion in August.
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