Will Wilmington’s film industry continue to resurface this year?
DC Universe’s “Swamp Thing,” a superhero show based on the eponymous monster, started filming in Wilmington in 2018 and is expected to wrap by the end of the year.
“Swamp Thing” has already provided work for many North Carolinians. According to Star News, the production estimated hiring 521 crew members from the state. About 3,200 people were hired as background actors and extras, with more than 3,000 being local residents.
Filming of movies and television productions has a long history not only in Wilmington but throughout the state. Television series such as “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill,” two successful network dramas of the early 2000s, were both filmed in Wilmington.
“Dawson’s Creek” won the 1999 Teen Choice Award for Choice Drama; “One Tree Hill” was nominated for the 2006 Image Awards for “Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series.” The latter series has gained a second wind of popularity, particularly among UNCW students.
Some films have been produced in Wilmington on an even larger scale. StarNews reported that “Iron Man 3,” released in 2013, remains the largest production in North Carolina. According to Box Office Mojo, the superhero film is the 17th-highest grossing film worldwide, and one of a handful of Marvel films to gross over $1 billion.
Film has proven to be a prosperous industry across North Carolina. However, there has been a decline in filming in the state since the release of “Iron Man 3.”
See more at The Seahawk.
