Source: WRAL
North Carolina is known for many things that the world loves us for. We have the best rivalry in sports in Duke/UNC. Don’t worry this is not about picking sides. We have an arena with the reputation of being the loudest arena in the NHL in our Carolina Hurricanes. We have the highest population of HBCU undergrad students in the country. Our mountains and beaches are top notch and our cities and towns have their own unique beauty. Last but not least we’ve given the world Krispy Kreme, Pepsi, Texas Pete and BBQ and we are talking pork not a damn grill.
Another great North Carolina fact is many of these great things have attracted some of the best movies ever made to film in our state. For a long time North Carolina was one of the leading filmmaking states in the country behind California and New York. Go ask some of your GOP representatives what happened to that status and get back to us. But just like the story of the 1983 N.C. State Wolfpack or “Cardiac Pack” we have fought back to beat the odds to win the biggest challenge and that’s to regain our status after bad legislation tried to stop our industry.
Below are a few of the many films made here in North Carolina that you may know about.
Iron Man 3
In the third installment of the Marvel movie series Tony Starks finds himself in his greatest battle of his life post alien invasion in Avengers movie and The Mandarin as a new threat to stability on earth. Some of the locations for filming include Cary, NC, Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington Area.
Bull Durham
This is probably one of the most famous movies ever filmed. The movie is about a woman who has a love for minor league baseball players to say the least. Things get a little tricky when she meets an up and coming pitcher and the catcher assigned to him. Now you have one more reason on why the Durham Bulls are one of the most popular teams in minor league baseball. Filming for the movie took place at the Historic Durham Athletic Park now home to the North Carolina Central University Eagles baseball team.
The Hunger Games
One of the biggest movies of all time filmed in portions of western North Carolina including DuPont National Forest is about young adults fighting for survival through games to free their district while being nationally televised. The movie is based on a series of best selling young adult novels. You can tour many of the locations where filming took place.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
This comedy is about a hotshot NASCAR driver’s rise and fall from fame as he tried to regain his status as the best in the business. The world famous quote of “If you aint first, then you are last” was the signature of Will Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby in this film. Many scenes were filmed in around numerous locations in our state such as the Charlotte Motor Speedway and inside legendary racetrack Rockingham Speedway or “The Rock” as many come to know it.
Dirty Dancing
I will not spend time on this masterpiece because if you have never heard of it or seen it then something is really wrong with you. Just take a trip 45 minutes south of Asheville to Lake Lure and thank me later!
There were so many more movies filmed in North Carolina it’s hard to put into one story. To add we haven’t even talked about television shows filmed here but I’m sure Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill will be amongst the first ones mentioned. Below are a few more movies that were filmed here in NC:
Empire Records
Maximum Overdrive
The Conjuring
Weekend at Bernie’s
I Know What You Did Last Summer
A Walk to Remember
The Secret Life of Bees
The Green Mile
Last of the Mohicans
Read more about movies filmed in North Carolina here.
