WILMINGTON, N.C.—Dark Horse Studios has broken ground on a major expansion that it says is the first purpose-built studio to be built in North Carolina in more than 40 years.
“This expansion has always been integral to our vision for Dark Horse Studios,” said Dark Horse founder and CEO Kirk Englebright. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have our existing stages fully booked for the past two years with the exception of the writers’ strike, and it’s a privilege to be at the forefront of the local industry’s growth.”
The expansion will feature two column-free soundstages, offering a footprint of more than 40,000 square feet. With a height of 45 feet to the grid, the new stages will be equipped with soundproofing and climate control to ensure an immersive and conducive filmmaking environment.
Anticipating increased use of its campus, the studio will expand the access of filmmakers to an array of amenities, including lighting and grip rental services from Cinelease and heavy equipment from specialty provider Herc Entertainment Services.
Wilmington has been a production hub for decades. With the introduction of Dark Horse in 2020, the metro saw sizable local production growth. 2021 proved to be the most prosperous year in the history of the state’s film industry with an estimated $416 million in in-state spending.
Dark Horse has played host to big-budget productions, including the Golden Globe Award-nominated Showtime original limited series “George & Tammy,” starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.
The expansion, doubling the studio’s size, will enable Dark Horse to accommodate twice as many annual productions.
“This location fills a void we have in local offerings,” said Englebright. “There are small scale productions that don’t need a full-size soundstage and may feel like they’re being overshadowed by larger-scale productions. But at our annex, these shoots can have privacy and access to the space and tools they need to reach their vision.”
The new studios are expected to open in fall 2024.
More information is available on the company’s website.
