Wilmington-area filming update: What's shooting now, what's coming soon, star sightings

Wilmington's film and television industry has ebbed and flowed for decades now.

After boom years in 2021 and 2022, and a down year in 2023 due to the since-resolved writers' and actors' strikes, 2024 is shaping up to land somewhere in between.

At least so far. The year is still young, and the potential exists for the Wilmington area to add more projects by the end of 2024.

In addition to the projects listed below, the Wilmington area has also seen activity this year from a trio of HGTV TV shows, including "House Hunters," "Battle on the Beach" and a spin-off of HGTV show "Good Bones."

'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

The third season of this popular Amazon Prime series has been shooting in the Wilmington area under the name "Strawberry Fields" since starting production in March.

According to film permits filed with the city of Wilmington, the show has shot at locations including the New Hanover County Arboretum, David's Bridal in the Mayfaire shopping center, Cape Fear Community College's Union Station, the New Hanover County Library's main branch downtown, Benny's Big Time Pizzeria, Legion Stadium, Dunton Cine Studios, Grace United Methodist Church on North Front Street, the UnderFront bar downtown and the former TRU Colors brewery on Greenfield Street.

The show has also shot at several locations on Chestnut and Princess streets, and is scheduled to shoot at the Bespoke coffee shop downtown and on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway near Kornegay Avenue.

"The Summer I Turned Pretty" is based on a best-selling three-book series of young adult novels by Jenny Han. Han is an executive producer of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" and its showrunner.

The show stars Lola Tung as Belly, a teenage girl torn between two hunky brothers (Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney) on "Cousins Beach," which is in Massachusetts in the show. The series follows Belly's ups and downs in both love and her family life.

It's believed that this will be the third and final season of "Pretty," as the show's first two seasons roughly followed books one and two in the series, respectively. But the show's producers have hinted there may be spinoffs, although whether they'd shoot in the Wilmington area even if greenlit is unknown.

An air date for season three has not been announced.

'Merv'

"Merv," which started shooting in the Wilmington area April 18, stars the actress Zooey Deschanel ("Elf," TV's "New Girl") as a woman sharing "custody" of a dog with her ex.

Deschanel has been spotted having dinner at the Dram Yard restaurant, and shopping at Jess James + Co. on Castle Street.

Filming locations so far include the Kure Beach Pier, which has been given a pretty extensive makeover, Dr. Jeffrey Coleman's optometry office on South 16th Street and Dark Horse Studios. According to permits filed with the city of Wilmington, upcoming locations include North 23rd Street, McRae Street, Princess Place Drive and Blue Clay Road.

"Merv," which will air on Amazon's Prime Video service, is being directed by Jessical Swale ("Summerland") from a script by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart.

'The Runarounds'

Not much new to report on this one since Wilmington resident Jonas Pate, co-creator of the hit Netflix series "Outer Banks," said in February that his new project should start shooting in the area in July.

A pilot for "The Runarounds" shot in Wilmington in 2022 as "Untitled Band Project," with locations that included New Hanover High School, downtown Wilmington and the Forest Hills and Carolina Heights neighborhoods.

It's about a real-life pop/rock band of the same name trying to make it big. The Runarounds appeared on season three of "Outer Banks" and played Wilmington venue Bourgie Nights in 2023.

When completed, the show will air on Amazon's Prime Video service.

'Long Drive to Yadkin'

Independent film directed by Wilmington actor Parrish Stikeleather ("The Black Phone") made a recent fundraising goal, but production has not yet begun. Described as a dark comedy, it stars Wilmington actor Gray Hawks ("George & Tammy," "Hightown") as an old-school Bible salesman traveling through small-town North Carolina.

Coming soon

Last week, it was announced that "The Exorcism," which shot in the Wilmington area way back in 2019, would hit studios June 7. It stars Russell Crowe as an actor shooting a horror film.

At least four other movies that shot in the Wilmington area have wrapped production and are waiting on release dates.

"Greedy People" shot largely in the Southport area in 2022 as "The Problem with Providence." Directed by Potsy Ponciroli ("Old Henry"), it's got a big-name cast (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lily James, Himesh Patel, Uzo Aduba, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Gaffigan, Simon Rex) and a story from Mike Vukadinovich (Showtime's "Kidding") about what happens when the residents of a small town discover $1 million in cash. Last year, industry publication Variety reported that the film's rights were acquired by Lionsgate, but a trailer has yet to surface.

Shooting in Wilmington and Southport in late 2021 and early 2022 was “Boys of Summer,” a fantasy/mystery coming-of-age thriller starring Mason Thames ("The Black Phone"). It has some big-name actors in the cast, including Mel Gibson (who became a Southport celebrity during his time in town), Kevin James and Patrick "You're Killin' Me, Smalls" Renna of "The Sandlot" fame.

"The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat," a movie for Disney's Searchlight Pictures based on the best-selling novel by Edward Kelsey Moore, wrapped filming late in 2022. It's directed by Tina Mabry and stars Uzo Aduba, Aunjanue Ellis, Sanaa Lathan, Russell Hornsby and Mekhi Phifer.

"Eric LaRue" is the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon. It shot in Wilmington in 2022 and had its world premiere last year at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Based on a 2002 play by Brett Neveu, who serves as screenwriter, it stars Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård as parents of a boy who has murdered three of his high school classmates.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What movies and TV shows are shooting in Wilmington, NC?