Big things are coming, but some things must come to an end.

Okay guys! I’ve got good news and depending how you personally feel about me, well it could be good or bad news.

The good news? The rumors are true! The wait is over and big things are indeed coming back to Wilmywood.  Hunter over at the Star News has definitely been sniffing or barking or peeing on and up the right tree, AND that is not the only project that is coming. People will definitely be working again. See what the hell I am talking about:

‘Swamp Thing’ series testing waters to film in Wilmington

Plus it looks like our legislators are finally doing something collectively to help:

SEE ARTICLE: N.C. film grant tweaked to attract more projects

So, the bad/good news? I won’t be reporting on it and giving you the scoop way ahead of the standard media.

It’s been a long hard, fun, painful and joyous road reporting on the local film industry, but I feel it is time to take a step back and focus on some other important things in my life like family, friends, traveling and you know, that radio job that actually pays the bills.

Don’t worry, Hunter will keep you posted at the Star News for now. After all, he is already got some great scoop to share. If I decide to return to reporting on the local film scene, I will let you know right here!

Love to you, Wilmywood!

And scene.

Sheila Brothers

 

Wilmywood This Week & What’s Ahead

The first week of production for Words on Bathroom Walls was this week. Here’s a few articles from the local media to view:

WWAY – Wilmywood is back in Action as Filming Kicks Off

WECT – ‘Words on Bathroom Walls’ begins filming in Wilmington

What’s Next for film?

With nothing on the official books, what’s going to happen when Words on Bathroom Walls heads to post-production? The handful of crew members who actually got a film job here are filled with dread praying this won’t be their last gig in the Port City or the last job in film period.  Hopefully our legislators understand by now that the stench HB2 spewed is still stronger than a hog farm. Combine that with the lack of consistency, the mixed messages that have been given and you have the end result. No work.

Hollywood does know however just how great Wilmington is as a location, How use friendly and affordable EUE/Screen Gems Studios are,  and how strong and talented our crew members are. So, what can we do?  The question that comes around year after year is brewing again. Can Wilmington offer their own film incentives? We’ve done it before, why not do it again…

The Star News asked that very question. Read about it now: Could Wilmington, New Hanover offer their own film incentives?

What’s next for Wilmington on the small screen?

The next Wilmington restaurant to be featured on “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” is the Cast Iron Kitchen. The segment will air on the Food Network show on May 25th at 9 p.m.

Then the final Wilmington restaurant will be Sweet n Savory Cafe.  Episode 12 titled ‘East Coast, West Coast’ will air at 9 p.m. on June 8th. They describe it as “a bakery-restaurant making major meatloaf and frying up French toast with a fantastic twist.”

Check out the TV Schedule now.

Devon Bostick is Joaquin for ‘Words on Bathroom Walls’

Another cast member joins Wilmywood’s Words On Bathroom Walls.

Devon Bostick (Okja, The 100, Diary of a Wimpy Kid) will play Joaquin, “a regular figure of Adam’s hallucinations who represents Adam’s unfiltered raging hormones.”

Devon joins leading man Charlie Plummer, Taylor Russell,  and AnnaSophia Robb.

You can spot them filming DURING next couple of weeks on Country Club Road, Shirley Drive, The College Diner on S College Rd. and at the new restaurant Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria on Greenfield. Production begins Monday.

If you would like to be an extra on the film, sign up with Kimmie Stewart Casting.

RELATED ARTICLES:

AnnaSophia Robb joins cast of Wilmywood’s ‘Words on Bathroom Walls.’

Words on Bathroom Walls: More deets to share.

First Project for Wilmywood 2018 Has Arrived.

AnnaSophia Robb joins cast of Wilmywood’s ‘Words on Bathroom Walls.’

Getty Images

Casting continues for Word on Bathroom Walls. So far we’ve learned that Charlie Plummer is taking on the lead role of Adam, a high schooler living with paranoid schizophrenia and battling wild hallucinations. Then we learned Taylor Russell (who is super adorable in the Netflix show Lost in Space ) is playing Maya, the love interest of Adam.

Now, the latest in casting news, AnnaSophia Robb is co-starring in the flick, playing Rebecca, one of the main characters in Adam’s hallucinations who “acts as a conduit for the feelings that he cannot express.”

It’s shaping up to be a great cast. Production kicks off in about 3 weeks!

Two possible features for North Carolina

Looks like North Carolina has two possible feature films passing through North Carolina.

First up is Maximum Speed, a family drama about a racing family. They are said to be shooting at Texas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway mid-summer or early fall.

Synopsis: It centers on Cody Wade, a young bull rider and the son of a racing legend who returns to stock-car racing to save the family legacy. Wade Motorsports only has one good driver, a rookie who’s fast and bold and the only woman on the circuit. Racing again is the only option, since Cody’s older brother is driving for his father’s arch enemy that wants to eliminate Wade Motorsports.

The movie is in active development and is being produced and directed by Aaron Norris.

Next up is the period piece Wilderness, which follows a confederate soldier during the battle of the Wilderness in the American Civil War.

Synopsis: At the Battle of the Wilderness, a warhardened, North Carolina Confederate soldier makes a fateful decision in the heat of battle that sends him on a journey home through a parallel wilderness.

Production is slated to begin in August and PW lists them shooting in 3 states. Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina. Richard De Wit is directing.

I have no idea how big our piece of the pie would be for either flick.  That’s all I have for now. If any more details come in, I’ll let ya know!

Catch Wilmington Restaurants in these episodes of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

@2018 Food Network

The first episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (starring Guy Fieri) to feature a Wilmington restaurant aired this past Friday on the Food Network. But no worries if you missed it; You’ll be able to catch it again. The show featured Ceviche’s located at 7120 Wrightsville Ave. in Wrightsville Beach.

WATCH NOW!
FOOD NETWORK ON DEMAND: Season 28, Episode 7: Lights Out Latin 

Next up is Downtown Wilmington’s Copper Penny! Season 28, Episode 8: Pizza, Pork and Peru airs this Friday, April 6th @ 9pm on Food Network.

“On this trip, Guy Fieri’s digging into all kinds of killer grub. In Lansing, Mich., an out-of-this-world pizza joint where the pie comes with a surprise, and in Wilmington, N.C., standout sandwiches bring a taste of Philly to the South. Plus, in Tucson, Ariz., a unique spot cookin’ up real deal Peruvian specialties.”

Other episodes that feature Wilmington Restaurants:
April 27th @ 9pm – Something Fishy (Season 28, Episode 9: Seafood and Savory)
May 4th @ 9pm – Fork ‘n’ Cork (Season 28, Episode 10: Grab and Grub)
May 25th @ 9pm – Sweet ‘n’ Savory (Season 28, Episode 11: BBQ Bites and Southern Flavor)

For a list of all episodes this season: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/episodes

Related Articles:
LOCAL ‘DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES’ EPISODES START AIRING
CEVICHE’S FEATURED ON ‘DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES’

Words on Bathroom Walls: More deets to share.

@Getty Images

I am a little behind as some of the info got put out while I was on my honeymoon! So let’s see what you need to know in case you don’t know already!

Production was originally slated to begin in April, but got pushed back 5 weeks due to scheduling conflicts. All is resolved and production begins on or around May 7th.

18 year-old Charlie Plummer (pictured above) has just been cast as the lead Adam, a young man with schizophrenia who is just trying to navigate life in a new school. He is a much sought after actor lately with 5 projects in the works!

Kimmie Stewart Casting is your go to for background casting for the project. Keep up with her Facebook Page if you are looking for BG work.

It should be a fun project! It’s nice to see some of you guys working at home! Hopefully there will be more to come. Fingers crossed.

WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS
STATUS: Pre-Production
PRODUCTION COMPANY: LD Entertainment
UPM/EP: Alison Semenza
DIRECTOR: Thor Freudenthal
CAST: Charlie Plummer
CREW RESUMES: wordsresumes@gmail.com

ABOUT FROM DEADLINE: The story centers around Adam as he tries to navigate high school life while living with paranoid schizophrenia and battling wild hallucinations. His distracting visions take turns acting as supportive friends one moment and evil foes the next. Luckily, an experimental drug trial promises to help hide his illness from his peers and most importantly from Maya, the girl of his dreams.

Rumors from the Lot: Good-bye to ‘Good Behavior?’

Multiple sources are now telling me that TNT’s Good Behavior will not be returning to Wilmington or to anywhere for that matter. According to said sources, the show is not being renewed.

I am trying to get confirmation, so as of now we are still calling it a rumor.  As soon as I get more details, I will let you know.

Hold fire.

Queen Latifah cast for the Queen City: 2 productions on the way for Charlotte, NC.

Alright! I’ve been getting a lot of questions about when is Charlotte gonna gear up and get back to work! Well, it looks like we have one, possible two productions that will be filming in the Queen City.

First up, Fixed Point Films and Shining Star Productions are teaming up with Walden Media and Alcon Entertainment to bring us Hope’s Wish – based on Stuart Stout and Shelby Stout’s book Hope’s Wish: How One Girl’s Dream Made Others Come True. The feature stars Queen Latifah.

The true North Carolina story centers on 12 year-old Hope Stout. When diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, the young girl sets out on a  mission to fund the wishes of 155 other children with the help of dedicated Make-A-Wish Foundation executive Toni Dubois (Latifah) and the Charlotte community.  (DEADLINE)

Production is set to begin April 9th in Charlotte and the surrounding area.

Crew resumes are still being accepted.

HOPE’S WISH
STATUS: Production begins April 9
LOCATION: Charlotte, NC
PRODUCERS: Val Hill, Steven Wegner, Jonah Hirsch, Stuart Stout, Larry McMurtry, Frank Fornari, Michael Lee, Yale Badik
WRITER: Diana Ossana – Charlie Stratton
DIRECTOR: Laurie Collyer
LP: Billy Badalato
CAST: Queen Latifah
CREW RESUMES: HopesWishCrew@gmail.com

ABOUT HOPE’S WISH: Diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, valiant 12 year old Hope Stout is approached by the Make-A-Wish foundation. The money for Hope is already in place, but due to a shortfall of funds, there are 155 children in her native Charlotte, North Carolina, who need their own wishes fulfilled. Hope’s sole wish is that all of those other children’s wishes should be granted — a seemingly impossible task that will cost in excess of a million dollars.

________________________________________________

Now as for the 2nd production, I don’t know much about it. It seems to have more of an indie feel to it. Here’s what I do know, according to PW.

The feature film, Just Grace, will be shooting in New York as well as Charlotte, NC. Production begins July 9th. Whether they start in NY or NC, I don’t know.

The story revolves around Grace Templeton, an esteemed music professor who’s life gets disrupted by tragedy. She finds herself thrown out of her lavish academic world and into the harsh reality of teaching at-risk youth.

JUST GRACE
STATUS: Production begins July 9
LOCATION: Charlotte, NC / New York
PRODUCER: Thomas Goggans
WRITER/PRODUCER: Karen Abercrombie

Both productions have a lot of heart in the story lines, so I am looking forward to seeing the end result!

Things are picking up, let’s hope they continue!

‘Words on Bathroom Walls’ accepting Crew Resumes.

NOTE: THIS IS FOR CREW ONLY.

Words on Bathroom Walls has officially opened up offices at EUE/ScreenGems Studios and they are now accepting crew resumes.

*Background actors, please wait until the Extras Casting Director has been chosen to submit to this project and DO NOT submit at this email address.

Shooting will take place in the Wilmington area. Production begins in April. Words on Bathroom Walls, is based on a young adult novel by Julia Walton.

WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS
STATUS: Pre-Production
PRODUCTION COMPANY: LD Entertainment
UPM/EP: Alison Semenza
DIRECTOR: Thor Freudenthal
CAST: TBA
CREW RESUMES: wordsresumes@gmail.com

ABOUT FROM DEADLINE: The story centers around Adam as he tries to navigate high school life while living with paranoid schizophrenia and battling wild hallucinations. His distracting visions take turns acting as supportive friends one moment and evil foes the next. Luckily, an experimental drug trial promises to help hide his illness from his peers and most importantly from Maya, the girl of his dreams.