The Queen City Back In Business With Show Business

CHARLOTTE — Lights, camera, Charlotte!  The Queen City and North Carolina are in the spotlight once again by the movie industry.

The state is now seeing an uptick in the number of production companies looking to shoot films right here in our area.  The move comes after North Carolina experienced a dramatic slump in 2015.  The year prior, the state ended incentives that lured movie production companies here.

North Carolina replaced those tax incentives with grants which topped out at 10 million dollars.  In 2019, the state began to rebound, and once again saw an increase in movie productions.  But, the pandemic forced productions to shut down for six months in 2020.  And, now with safety protocols in place, the cameras are rolling once again.

“For us, when pitching North Carolina, what stands out with the Charlotte area is its ability to play many different looks.  I think that’s why you’ve seen in the past on series like Homeland, Charlotte has portrayed the D.C. metro area,” says Guy Gaster with the North Carolina Film Office.

Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Own’ Network shot the new drama series ‘Delilah’ in Charlotte.  And, in April, Lionsgate will begin filming a movie version of the popular book, ‘Are you there God, it’s me, Margaret’.  Casting calls are now underway in Charlotte.