State film grants awarded to series filming in New Hanover County
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A new television series filming in New Hanover County is among several productions recently approved for North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grants, bringing jobs and millions of dollars in spending to the local economy.
State officials announced that the first season of the television and streaming series “RJ Decker” has been approved for a grant award of up to $11.6 million. Filming is currently underway in New Hanover County.
The production is one of three projects approved statewide that are expected to generate more than $113 million in production spending and create more than 4,900 jobs across North Carolina. Those jobs include film crew positions and work for small businesses that support productions.
Gov. Josh Stein said the grant program helps keep North Carolina competitive while supporting local workers.
“We are excited to have these new productions in North Carolina creating 4,900 jobs for our state’s crew and film-friendly businesses,” Stein said.
North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said film and television projects deliver both immediate economic impact and long-term benefits.
“Film production is all about jobs in North Carolina,” Lilley said. “These productions bring direct economic benefits and also raise the state’s visibility among audiences, leading to increased tourism and visitor spending over time.”
In addition to current filming in New Hanover County, state officials highlighted recent releases shot in the area. The holiday feature film “Merv,” which filmed in New Hanover County in 2024 and also received a state film grant, debuted Dec. 10 on Amazon Prime Video.
Other North Carolina–filmed projects released in 2025 include feature films “A Little Prayer,” “Christy,” and “Roofman,” as well as streaming series such as “The Runarounds,” season three of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “The Hunting Wives,” and “The Waterfront.”
North Carolina Film Office Director Guy Gaster said the latest grant awards help position the state for continued production activity.
“These latest awardees are helping us close out 2025 strongly and giving us a head start on activity for 2026,” Gaster said.
The North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant program is designed to attract feature-length films and television or streaming productions that generate economic activity and create jobs statewide. Production companies must meet in-state spending requirements and receive grant funds as a rebate after the project is completed and audited.
