Wilmington’s first 3D movie hits the big screen on Friday, but exterior shots won’t feature familiar area locations. That’s because most of the interior shooting for “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” took place on sound stages at EUE/Screen Gems Studios a year ago. The movie used Stage 10, the lot’s largest, as well as a water tank built by the production specifically for the shoot. “‘Journey’ was a big deal for North Carolina,” said N.C. Film Office Director Aaron Syrett. “Its scope was huge. It proved to the industry North Carolina can handle large special-effects films. Additionally, it created jobs and a large economic impact into the local community.”
In addition, two movies have joined the ranks of productions shooting in the Wilmington area this year, according to the Wilmington Regional Film Commission. The agency’s website is now listing “The Occult” and “Heart of the Country” in preproduction, along with “The Conjuring” and “Caged Heat.” (The latter is widely known throughout the industry as the code name for “Iron Man 3.”) The news followed word last Friday that the independent film “Writers,” starring Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly, would begin shooting in Wilmington next month.
You can catch Journey 2 starting Friday at Marketplace Cinemas