Film Spending In North Carolina Hits Record High

Spending on television and film productions in North Carolina is at an all-time high — and it amounts to thousands of jobs.

The projected in-state spending figure for film projects this year is $409 million. This surpasses the previous record of $373 million. That was set in 2012, a year when Iron Man 3 and the Showtime series Homeland were made in North Carolina.

This year's productions will create more than 25,000 jobs for industry professionals.

North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders says filmmakers are drawn to the state.

“It's attributed to the repeal of House Bill 2,” she says. “Which supports a welcoming and inclusive business environment. And the state's recently unveiled First In Talent plan for economic development, that places diverse and highly skilled talent as the priority.”

Sanders says that the 25% rebate from the bipartisan North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant attracts filmmakers to the region, as well as location choices ranging from mountains, to rural, to city, to coast.

Some notable projects recently lensed here include an upcoming Netflix show called Florida Man, a series about country music stars George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and a film adaptation of the Judy Blume classic Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.