A locally filmed military drama is officially back in action.
After a brief hiatus to fill an unexpectedly vacant lead role, “Six” is set to resume production Friday with a fight scene onsite at EUE/Screen Gems Studios off N. 23rd Street.
According to a permit filed with the City of Wilmington, the shoot – an attack on a school – will involve prop semi-automatic weapons and simulated gunfire. The guns will not eject any projectiles or sparks and no pyrotechnics will be involved.
But since nearby residents may hear some shots fired, the city’s film liaison Tammy Skinner said the show’s production crew will notify surrounding homeowners and businesses ahead of time, and plan to contact local law enforcement and the New Hanover County school district.
Friday’s shoot marks the first since April 11, when the History channel series temporarily wrapped following overnight filming at the NC State Ports Authority. The sudden shutdown was due to the exit of principal actor Joe Manganiello, whose reasons for leaving the show were not released by A+E Networks. Entertainment magazines like Variety and sites such as RadarOnline have claimed the physical demands of “Six,” about a US Navy SEALs team, were too much for Manganiello, who reportedly has a preexisting medical condition.
A+E spokeswoman Kristen Hynes said the filming would be put on hold for up to eight weeks while the network found a replacement for Manganiello, who was playing Rip Taggart, a hardened former squad leader of SEAL Team 6.
But last week, Hynes confirmed that “Six” had picked Walter Goggins of “Justified” fame to step into the part. Goggins, who played complex criminal Boyd Crowder on the six-season FX show, is also known from the films “Django Unchained” (Billy Crash) and “The Hateful Eight” (Sheriff Chris Mannix).
Filming Friday will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and involve a cast of 12 actors and 40 extras, as well as a crew of 85. Since they will be on studio property, no traffic closures will be necessary.
Then on Wednesday, May 4, a similarly sized crew will set up at Bellevue Cemetery on Princess Place Drive for a “graveyard mourning scene,” the permit states. The shoot won’t interrupt traffic flow, but an outdoor scene set for Monday, May 9 in the 2200 block of Shirley Road will require intermittent lane closures on Noble Street between Klein and Shirley roads and again at Shirley Road between N. 23rd Street and Klein between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Residents and guests will have access as needed.
Hilary Snow is a reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at hilary.s@portcitydaily.com.
