The Grant Game: North Carolina Drops $113 Million to Become the East Coast's New Production Powerhouse

Jason Diaz
Dec 14, 2025
3 min read

Forget the endless reports about Hollywood spending cuts and delayed projects—there is one place where the money is not just flowing, but flooding: North Carolina.

The state just announced that it has approved grants totaling over $113 million for new feature films and TV series. This isn't small change; this is a strategic power play that puts the Tar Heel State squarely in the conversation as the new East Coast production powerhouse, potentially siphoning major long-term business away from the established giants in Georgia and New York.

Where the Industry Really Shoots

When you hear about Hollywood, you think Los Angeles. When you hear about blockbusters, you think Atlanta's Pinewood complex. But the reality of modern filmmaking is dictated by one thing: incentives.

The North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant is essentially a rebate program that hands production companies' money back after they have met specific direct in-state spending requirements. The math is simple: studios will shoot where they can maximize their returns. By aggressively leveraging these grants, North Carolina is buying itself a permanent seat at the table.

This latest round of funding is already generating massive returns: the approved productions are expected to create more than 4,900 jobs and pump over $113 million directly into the state economy, supporting everyone from crew professionals to local small businesses. This is the authentic economic engine of filmmaking, where major policy decisions translate directly into thousands of blue-collar jobs.

The Anchor Projects: What’s Being Built

The investment is already bearing fruit, giving us a clear view of what’s coming down the pipeline:

“RJ Decker” Series: A new television/streaming series that has secured an award of up to $11.6 million. The production is currently underway, setting up shop in New Hanover County. This kind of long-term series work is the foundation of a sustainable production hub, requiring steady crew and infrastructure.
“Widow” Thriller: An independent feature-length film approved for an award of up to $1.8 million, which has already completed filming across multiple counties (Davidson, Forsyth, Stokes, and Yadkin). This shows the grants are supporting diverse projects, from independent cinema to big-budget streaming series.

The state is riding a wave of recent successes, too. Recent N.C.-filmed projects like the Amazon Prime Video holiday feature “Merv,” the streaming series “The Hunting Wives,” and Season 3 of the hit “The Summer I Turned Pretty” all received grants. These titles serve as a living portfolio, proving to studios that North Carolina’s infrastructure and workforce can handle high-profile, high-demand productions.

The Future is the Rebate

This story is all about the money trail. While the industry fixates on the box office battle, the real war is being fought at the state level through tax policy.

For years, Georgia’s uncapped tax credit was the undisputed king, luring Marvel and Netflix into long-term residency. But as other states—like New York and now North Carolina—step up their game, the market is becoming fiercely competitive. This $113 million infusion isn't a one-off; it’s a commitment to a long-term strategy that is giving North Carolina a strong head start on activity for 2026. The economic energy surrounding these incentives is what drives the decision-making for every major studio slate, proving once again that in Hollywood, money doesn't just talk, it dictates where the cameras roll.