The little-known town known as Hollywood for horror movies
WHERE’S America’s most-haunted place?
Salem? New Orleans? Maybe Maine, the eerie backdrop to so many of Stephen King’s stories? Think again.
The spookiest city might be Wilmington, North Carolina.
With its seaside sister city Southport, Wilmington is known as the “Hollywood of the East” due to the number of films and TV shows shot there.
Dubbed Wilmywood, it’s earned a reputation for horror films in particular.
Here, James Draven takes a look at just a few of the cult classic fight-night films shot there . . .
FIRESTARTER (1984)
THE spark that ignited Wilmywood, Drew Barrymore portrays a young girl with terrifying pyro powers in this early Stephen King adaptation.
Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, this was the first film shot at his new studio in Wilmington.
It launched the city’s film industry, which has since hosted more than 1,350 film and TV productions.
Partly filmed at the historic Orton Plantation just south of the city, the film didn’t play well with critics.
But it is soaked in synth music and nostalgia – and the fiery climax is still a blast to watch, even if the plot is a slow burn.
THE CONJURING (2013)
MADE for just $20million and raking in a bone-rattling $320million, The Conjuring didn’t just scare the life out of audiences, it kicked off a whole new golden age of horror.
Forget cheap jump scares, this one creeps under your skin with eerie silence, creaking floors and shadows that slip just out of sight.
Its devilishly good atmosphere owes plenty to Wilmington, too.
The creepy Carolina Apartments play host to Annabelle the haunted doll, left.
And the spooky First Baptist Church opposite is where ghost-hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren meet their priestly back-up, Father Gordon.
THE BLACK PHONE (2021)
ETHAN HAWKE is chilling as The Grabber, a 1970s child-snatching monster with a magician’s grin and a basement full of secrets.
Adapted from a short story by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King, no less), it’s a tense, supernatural thriller where the dead want justice.
Filmed largely in Wilmington’s outskirts, the production transformed streets into a retro Denver nightmare.
The house at 2415 Shirley Road looms with menace, while Pinecrest Parkway captures key moments.
Kids on vintage bikes were shot at Cape Fear Optimist Park, and basement scenes inside EUE/Screen Gems Studios.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997)
THIS film, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, is peak ’90s slasher cheese – think wet-look gel, bad decisions and a killer who just won’t quit.
Between all the tragic hairstyles and gasps, it became a huge hit, spawning two sequels and a TV show – proving that nothing says horror like a killer in a raincoat and some stilted dialogue.
Filmed mainly in Southport, a charming coastal town a short drive from Wilmington, it provided the perfect backdrop for all that screaming.
THE CROW (1994)
A DARK revenge tale soaked in rain and angst, The Crow is forever shadowed by the tragic on-set death of Brandon Lee, whose haunting performance only adds to the film’s legacy.
Filmed at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, the flick transformed the studio into a gritty cityscape.
The nightclub scenes were shot at the Ideal Cement Factory, near Castle Hayne, near Wilmington.
Sergeant Albrecht’s home was filmed at the Carolina Apartments, and one iconic alleyway scene is also believed to have been shot in Wilmington, capturing the film’s dark fantasy vibes.
SCREAM (2022)
THIS slick reboot-slash-sequel saw the return of Ghostface and a whole lot of fresh blood to the classic slasher formula.
It was shot around Wilmington, including at Williston Middle School and on Castle Street, dressed up as small-town Woodsboro.
The film pokes fun at modern horror while still delivering gore and tense chase scenes.
It’s self-aware, fast-paced – and a solid fan hit.
HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021)
KILLER Michael Myers stalks the shadows of Wilmington in this middle chapter of the reboot trilogy starring Jamie Lee Curtis.
Some exteriors were filmed around 20th Street and Greenfield Lake, while most of the gore was on sets at Screen Gems Studios.
Critics were split over the film – some loved the nastiness, while others found it relentless.
Still, the film is unapologetically harrowing and filled with callbacks for die-hard fans.
CAT’S EYE (1985)
THIS anthology of creepy tales stars a young Drew Barrymore and follows a stray cat through three stories, mixing black comedy and horror.
Written by Stephen King and shot in downtown Wilmington, including at the Graystone Inn on South 3rd Street and near Water Street, it shows off the city’s more elegant side, before things turn nasty.
The film’s a bit uneven, but full of ’80s charm. The goblin showdown is as weird as it is unforgettable.
