‘Outer Banks’ sticks with SC, not NC, as filming starts for new season of Neflix show

Filming for the third season of the Netflix hit “Outer Banks” is under way in Charleston.

While the show is called “Outer Banks” — after the 100-mile long island chain in North Carolina — all three seasons have been filmed in South Carolina. Netflix originally did not want the series filmed in North Carolina due to the state’s so-called “bathroom bill” that required people to use public bathrooms that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate.

That law is off the books now, but Matt Storm, who heads the South Carolina Film Commission, said “Outer Banks” returned to Charleston because the show and crew were already established there.

The twin brothers behind the series, Josh and Jonah Pate, are originally from Raeford, North Carolina, worked for about 20 years in Los Angeles and now live in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Compared to South Carolina, North Carolina provides more financial incentives for the film industry — the number has fluctuated through the years from a high of $83 million to more recently $31 million.

South Carolina has about $16 million each year to offer to production companies, Storm said. The amount of incentives offered by the state is based on wages and what the production spends while in the state.

Wilmington also has EUE/Screen Gems Studios, a 43-acre lot where more than 400 feature films have been made since 1985.

The cast of “Outer Banks” announced season three with a Twitter film in December.

“Outer Banks” premiered in April 2020 and was ranked No. 1 on Netflix for the subsequent four weeks.

The show is a teen adventure drama involving conflict between two groups, known as the Kooks and Pogues, the haves and have nots, set on an island after a hurricane.

The Pates have said the show was based on their time on Kiawah Island and the legend of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure.

A North Carolina man claimed in a lawsuit the show was based on his self-published book, but that went nowhere. A judge threw out the lawsuit.

Another controversy, which Jonah Pate told Spectrum News 1 has never gone away, was a scene where the characters traveled on the North Carolina ferry from the coast to Chapel Hill, which in reality some 250 miles inland.

A release date for season three has not been announced.

So far, a casting call for extras has not been announced. Both previous seasons employed extras.

The call is usually featured on TV Cast and Recruit’s Facebook page.

This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 2:17 PM with the headline "‘Outer Banks’ sticks with SC, not NC, as filming starts for new season of Neflix show."