With a rich history and production infrastructure in place going back to the 1980’s, North Carolina has always been at the top of filmmakers’ minds when scouting for a location. Today, Wilmington’s Dark Horse Stages is eager to continue the Old North State’s tradition of filming excellence.

Opened in 2020, Dark Horse currently sports two state of the art soundstages, totaling 42,500 square feet. The facility has been transformative for North Carolina’s entertainment industry, capitalizing on the increasing demand in the state for high-quality film space. By the end of 2024, the studio will have opened two more brand new stages.

“At 40,00 total square feet(20,000 each), Stages 3 and 4 are purpose-built to meet the evolving needs of modern production teams,” said Kirk Englebright, President and CEO of Dark Horse Stages. “These new facilities are pre-booking now, with a planned Grand Opening Event on November 14. The timing couldn’t be better with anticipated growth in production activities and resolved industry challenges.”

Dark Horse immediately made its mark in the production space with its first ever client being a Hallmark Channel original holiday film. Spurred by the success and notoriety that these types of films bring, they were quickly able to secure additional projects from Paramount, establishing themselves as one of the go-to soundstage facilities on the East Coast.

Wilmington is the main production hub in North Carolina, and for years, productions came to the city for the diverse locations and the talented, trained local crew. Wilmington’s backlot of landscapes, city streets, sandy beaches, and rugged mountains offer a mix of natural beauty and classic southern charm, allowing filmmakers the ability to capture their vision on location without needing to ever go too far.

Now North Carolina’s financial incentives add another layer to their proposition. In 2015, the state began offering a 25% incentive in the form of a rebate for film productions, making it an attractive location for filmmakers to flock to for their next projects. North Carolina also offers a more budget-friendly environment compared to nearby states, so filmmakers can take advantage of the generous tax rebates along with the lower overall costs for both them and their crews.

North Carolina has hosted major film franchises, such as the first Hunger Games and Iron Man 3, resoundingly proving that it has the accommodations and capable crew available to serve the highest magnitudes of projects. The state has also been the filming location for many popular television shows, like teen classics Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill.

Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson’s Creek and the Scream franchise, and a native North Carolinian himself, has long preferred filming in his home state and his preference for his home region has added gravitas to the North Carolina film scene and further solidified its place in the United States film landscape. Williamson’s next project, The Waterfront, has already begun filming in Wilmington and is set to release on Netflix in 2025.

North Carolina was first dubbed “Hollywood East” in 1983, when producers Frank Capra Jr. and Dino De Laurentiis were scouting locations for their film Firestarter. They discovered that North Carolina was ripe for a full-fledged professional film studio to accompany the beautiful natural landscapes and terrains that they witnessed. Shortly after, the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group Studios was built and opened, and a new age of North Carolina film had begun.

Dark Horse Stages are now following in the footsteps of those before them and are well positioned to revive the Hollywood East era of old. North Carolina’s film legacy and cost friendly environment make it an appealing location for all types of productions, and Dark Horse now look to elevate the state to a new level and a wider audience.