Lights, Capital, Action: Wilmington's Film Economy Roars Back
Renewed incentives and a deep bench of crews have made the port city a serious rival to Georgia for streaming productions — and a magnet for investment.
For decades, Wilmington's soundstages made it an unlikely capital of American screen production. A lapse in incentives nearly ended the run. Now the cameras are back.
Incentives and infrastructure
Renewed state support has drawn a wave of streaming productions to the port city, which offers something money cannot quickly buy: an experienced local crew base built over generations.
Soundstages are booked months out. Ancillary businesses — catering, equipment, post-production — are hiring again.
Chasing Georgia
The benchmark, everyone acknowledges, is Georgia, whose aggressive incentives built a colossal industry. Wilmington cannot match that scale, but it can compete on craft and character.
The risk is familiar: an economy tied to incentives lives at the mercy of the next legislative session. For now, though, the port city is enjoying its close-up.
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