RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) – Two feature films and a TV series are among five more projects that have been greenlighted to get some cash from the North Carolina’s film program.
NC Gov. Roy Cooper’s office on Thursday announced these most recent grants, which a release said would help attract about $61 million in direct spending in the state and create 2,400 job opportunities for the productions.
The projects range from a movie by Universal Pictures to an installment in a weekly Fox series to small and made-for-streaming productions. These follow five projects announced in July that have received financial encouragement from the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant funds.
“We are excited to have more cameras rolling across our state,” Cooper said in the release. “Having North Carolina communities as the backdrop for independent and studio-supported projects is a positive multiplier for our talented workforce, our small businesses, and our economy.”
The newest projects are:
- “Untitled Please Don’t Destroy,” a Universal Pictures feature-length film from the comedic trio Please Don’t Destroy. Filming will be in Burke, Gaston and Mecklenburg counties. The production will receive a maximum rebate grant of $7 million.
- “Welcome to Flatch” will film its second season of a Fox TV series about young people in a small town participating in a documentary. Its production is underway through October in Duplin, New Hanover and Pender counties. This project will receive a rebate grant of $6.5 million.
- “Site” is a feature film being shot in the Charlotte area. It’s a time-travel sci-fi project, and no stars or production connections were included in the release. It will receive a film rebate of $937,500.
- “Eric Larue,” a feature-length film from Big Indie Pictures is in production in the Wilmington area. It’s about a mother whose son commits mass violence. It will receive a grant of up to $589,105.
- “Second Time Around,” a made-for-streaming movie for PureFlix, is about a pastor whose chance encounter may turn out to be a heavenly gift. It’s filming in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties and will receive up to $156,250.
These grants are paid following the completion of each project and an audit. State officials say film-related production spending has surpassed $241 million and in 2022 created more than 13,000 jobs.
Numerous productions are planned or underway, including a Paramount+ series called “George and Tammy,” inspired by country music singers George Jones and Tammy Wynette; “The Other Zoey”, a romantic comedy about a college coed; and local projects such as “A Little Prayer,” “A Song for Imogene” and the NASCAR reality series “Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane.”
North Carolina has had an on-and-off approach to providing funding for film projects, and state officials have drawn criticism for losing projects to neighboring states.
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