WILMINGTON — In a boost for the state’s creative economy, Governor Josh Stein met with film industry professionals at Bespoke Coffee Shop in Wilmington to announce a $20 million investment in North Carolina’s film and entertainment industry.
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Stein said the funding will support seven film and TV projects, which are projected to generate $130 million and create an estimated 3,800 jobs. The projects include three TV series — “Beast Games Season Two” ($15 million), “Top Chef” ($2.5 million), and the “RJ Decker Pilot” ($2.8 million) — as well as four films: “May and the Woodsman” ($412,500), “The Bard” ($4.6 million), “Drivers Ed” ($1.8 million), and “Bad Counselors” ($2 million).
In Wilmington, it has been a slow year for productions, as only three have been filmed in the city — the pilot for series “RJ Decker,” feature film “Driver’s Ed” as well as independent film “Pretty Ugly.”
The last banner year for the film industry in Wilmington was in 2021, when more than a dozen projects were shot in the city, generating over $327 million in local spending. That same year, 71 projects were filmed across the state, bringing in $409 million.
When asked about bringing more productions to the state, Stein said the film incentive structure can always be changed. The state’s grant program offers a 25% rebate on expenses like cast and crew salaries and production costs once productions meet a minimum in-state spending threshold. For instance, feature-length films must spend at least $1.5 million in state and television series must spend at least $500,000 per episode.
The program was last updated in 2021, increasing the total rebate for television series from $12 million to $15 million.
“I think we always have to look at the incentive structure to make sure it’s meeting the market and you don’t want to have an incentive system that doesn’t serve the industry,” Stein said. “I’m sure there are things we can do to tweak it and we look forward to engaging with the legislature to make sure we have the strongest incentive program that is reasonable. We want to get a big bang for our buck.”
There is pending legislation in the General Assembly, Senate Bill 301, which increases the maximum grant amount from $7 million to $12 million for feature-length films, from $15 million to $20 million for television series, and from $250,000 to $450,000 for commercials. The legislation has sat with no action since it was referred to the Senate committee of rules and operations in March.
Line producer Barbara D’Allesandro was one of the film professionals who met with Stein during his Wilmington visit. Speaking with Port City Daily, she suggested the grant program be improved to increase the cap for television series in order to keep longer-running shows in the state for an extended period of time.
“If we get a longer show in, they’ll run out [of grant funding],” D’Allesandro explained. “We won’t become as viable of a place to shoot longer shows, which would bring in even more money.”
Stein noted it was “painful” for him to see the hit Netflix series “Outer Banks” move filming to Charleston, South Carolina, instead of the state where it is set. Netflix decided not to make its homebase in the Tar Heel State in 2016 after North Carolina legislators passed the controversial “Bathroom Bill,” also known as House Bill 2, which restricted restroom access for transgender people.
However, the show returned last year to film some scenes in town and show creator Jonas Pate has filmed other content in Wilmington, including the recently released “The Runarounds” and “Driver’s Ed,” which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival last week. A wider theatrical or streaming release date has not yet been announced.
The Bobby Farrelly-directed comedy (“There’s Something About Mary,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Kingpin”) had cameras rolling earlier this year and stars Sam Nivola, Lilah Pate, Molly Shannon, and Kumail Nanjiani.
On Wednesday, the governor highlighted the role of local businesses in encouraging tourism, citing Bespoke Coffee as a prime example. The coffee shop was a filming location for the series “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” which had all three seasons filmed in Wilmington, Carolina Beach and surrounding areas. Bespoke owner Robby Dow said tourists now come from all over the country to see the real locations from the show.
The Amazon-streaming show has been a success with season three now airing. According to Amazon, the season three premiere drew in 25 million viewers within the first week. Its finale is Sept. 17.
Before meeting at Bespoke, Stein briefly addressed members of the North Carolina AFL-CIO at their annual conference up the street at Ballast Hotel, expressing his commitment to bringing better-paying jobs to the state. The AFL-CIO is the largest federation of unions in the United States.
“A stronger North Carolina requires that we invest in our people so that folks have the skills and knowledge to succeed in an ever-changing economy,” Stein stated, also touching on investing in educators, Medicaid protections and renewable energy. “A stronger North Carolina supports working families struggling with the rising cost of living. We are pushing to cut taxes for working families and lower the cost of electricity, housing, and child care.”
Stein ended his speech by bestowing MaryBe McMillan, president of the North Carolina State AFL-CIO, to the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, an award granted to citizens who have demonstrated a proven record of extraordinary service and have made a significant impact on the state and their communities. McMillan is set to retire this year after eight years leading the organization. She said she was grateful to receive the honor.
“I am so honored by the award, especially because I know so many of the other incredible leaders who have received this award,” McMillan expressed. “It’s also personally very special to me that you [Stein] presented it since our friendship goes back to when you were in the state Senate.”
Have tips or suggestions for Charlie Fossen? Email charlie@localdailymedia.com
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