Dark Horse Studios announces 40,000-square-foot expansion in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington’s newest film studio announced a major expansion on Thursday afternoon.

Dark Horse Studios opened its doors in 2020. The more than 100,000-square-foot campus sits off Market Street and is about to grow by another 40,000 square feet. Kirk Englebright, studios president, announced two new stages are being built to accommodate the growing film industry.

State and local elected officials joined in on the groundbreaking celebration — including Governor Roy Cooper and Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo.

“Film is here to stay and film’s future is extremely bright here in the City of Wilmington and the County of New Hanover,” Saffo said.

Before the groundbreaking, Englebright and the team at Dark Horse shared a behind-the-scenes look at what a day on set looks like by filming an action scene — complete with a motorcycle, breaking glass, and fire.

“It shows people what they don’t see on TV. The excitement of what we see every day. How hard the crew base works to put on these shows,” Englebright said.

Governor Roy Cooper says this investment and expansion shows the private sector is giving Wilmington a vote of confidence.

“I think the real reason for it is the well-trained, dedicated, and diverse workforce that’s already here and the commitment of the Wilmington area community to this industry,” Cooper said.

Despite recent challenges, Mayor Bill Saffo remains optimistic Hollywood East will continue to thrive.

“We had our biggest year in 2021 — over $300 million. We were set to have a really good year this year until the strike happened,” Saffo said. “I will tell you, the demand for studio space, the demand for productions to come to Wilmington continues to grow.”

Englebright anticipates the two new stages will be complete in the next 12 to 14 months.