Wilmington shines in new Amazon series ‘The Runarounds’

WILMINGTON, NC — Wilmington takes center stage in a new Amazon Prime Video series from Outer Banks creator Jonas Pate. The Runarounds, which premiered Monday, follows a group of recent high school graduates chasing their dream of starting a rock band.

Pate, who lives in Wilmington, said the idea was inspired by the indie music scene his brother experienced as a student in Chapel Hill during the 1990s.

“After Outer Banks was a hit, we thought it might be time,” Pate said in an interview with WWAY’s Matt Bennett on Good Morning Carolina. “It’s about the trials and tribulations of a bunch of guys right as they’re graduating high school and deciding to see if they can make it as a band.”

Unlike many TV series filmed locally, The Runarounds portrays Wilmington as itself. Viewers will spot familiar locations including downtown streets, beach scenes, venues such as Eagles Dare, and even Pate’s own neighborhood, Shandy Point.

“I really tried to make Wilmington look as beautiful as it is to me,” Pate said.

The show also has a personal connection for Pate: his daughter, a Hoggard High School graduate, is one of the stars. While she made cameo appearances in Outer Banks and The Summer I Turned Pretty, this marks her first major collaboration with her father.

Pate said the production took an unusual approach by casting real musicians to form the fictional band. The five performers, most of them new to acting, will also take their music on the road. They are scheduled to perform live Sept. 14 at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater.

Looking ahead, Pate said another project filmed in Wilmington — Driver’s Ed, starring Sam Volla, Molly Shannon, and Kumail Nanjiani — will premiere Sept. 12 at the Toronto Film Festival.