Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that New Line Cinemas film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, starring Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine will start production later this month in Wilmington. The motion picture is expected to be made in North Carolina for five months, with an estimated economic impact in the millions of dollars.
“A major motion picture means more than the excitement of celebrities and special effects,” Gov. Perdue said. “It means jobs – hundreds of them. This production will also bring millions of dollars in spending into our economy and millions of dollars in earned tourism promotion, when North Carolina is showcased on the big screen.”
North Carolina was selected because of the state’s talented and trained film professionals and the water tank at EUE/Screen that will allow the production the creative tools to make this movie in North Carolina. Journey 2 is also expected to qualify for the state’s 25 percent film incentive. This film is being produced by New Line Cinema (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) in association with Contra Film, and Walden Media.
“Our office has been really aggressive in promoting this new opportunity and we are optimistic that it is starting to gain traction,” said Aaron Syrett director of the North Carolina Film Office. “Through the diligent work of the NC Film Office, the Wilmington Regional Film Commission and our local film professionals, we were able to demonstrate to the productions how fantastic and easy it is to make movies here with our locations and infrastructure.”