Wilmington-filmed Maximum Overdrive celebrates 40 years with local screenings

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The cult classic Maximum Overdrive, filmed in Wilmington and directed by Stephen King, will return to local theaters this summer to mark the film’s 40th anniversary.

The anniversary celebration will include screenings at Jengo’s Playhouse on July 24 and at Thalian Hall Cinema Aug. 28-30, according to Thalian Hall.

Released on July 25, 1986, Maximum Overdrive was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and remains the only feature film directed by King. Much of the movie was filmed in Wilmington during the mid-1980s.

The film stars Emilio Estevez as a truck stop employee who, along with a group of survivors, fights to stay alive after machines come to life when Earth passes through the tail of a comet.

Thalian Hall said the screenings are part of a 40th anniversary celebration, with additional event details expected to be announced later.

“I unironically love Maximum Overdrive,” Thalian Hall Director of Cinema Michael Morelli said in a news release. “Thalian Hall Cinema is excited to celebrate the anniversary of a cult favorite that was shot in our own backyard.”

Tickets for the Jengo’s Playhouse and Thalian Hall Cinema screenings are on sale.