The floodgates opened in November for new film and TV productions in Georgia, hitting a post-pandemic high of 42 as of Nov. 10.
This is up from 27 just two weeks earlier and almost exactly the same as the number of productions on Nov. 11, 2019, when it was 36. On March 11, just before the virus shut everything down, the number was 39.
“It definitely seems busy,” said Sara Riney, an Atlanta set decoration buyer. “Most people I know have gone back to work. Prop houses will tell you it’s busy."
Lee Thomas, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office, said in a statement that “we’re not quite at pre-pandemic levels yet, but our sound stages are filling up fast and productions from feature films to regular series are underway. Last fiscal year prior to COVID-19, we were on track for another record pace, and we’re working every day with our productions to help meet their needs.”
Many are returning shows such as the CW’s “Stargirl” and “Dynasty,” FXX’s “Archer,” the syndicated “Divorce Court” and OWN’s “Iyanla: Fix My Life.” Tyler Perry is also readying three of his shows to shoot consecutively.
Over the past two weeks, 17 programs or films have been added to the Georgia film office active list while seven have wrapped. (The film office posts active productions in snapshot fashion but does not offer historical data, so that’s what I’ve been doing about once a month since May 2019. You can see the historical monthly figures at the bottom of this blog entry.)
No big-budget new movies have launched since late October.
The official film office list below only has 37 programs listed. I know of five more not on the list. Thomas will keep shows off the list if a production company, network or streaming service requests it. Plus, production companies are not required to contact the film office. It’s a common courtesy and allows crews and others know what else is happening.
The other five are::
- Netflix’s “Ozark,” season 4
- CBS’s “MacGyver," season 5
- Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” season 4
- Netflix’s “Raising Dion,” season 2
- BYUTV’s “Dwight in Shining Armor" is still shooting until the end of the week and has been on the list in the past. I’m not sure why that particular show isn’t anymore.
Including the known omissions, the list includes six movies targeting movie theaters in production, 14 reality shows,19 TV series, two documentaries and a TV movie.
Other shows that have started up since October:
- “AKA Dark Side” documentary
- “Alice” feature film, historical thriller starring Keke Palmer. This is the official plot description: “Alice” is inspired by the true events of a woman of servitude in 1800s Georgia, who escapes the 55-acre confines of her captor to discover the shocking reality that exists beyond the tree line — it’s 1973.
- “Archer” season 11, FXX
- “Beyond the Pole” season 2, WE-TV
- “Central Avenue” season 2, syndicated
- “Divorce Court,” syndicated
- “Dynasty,” season 4, the CW
- “Envy” TV movie, Lifetime
- “Instant Family" reality show, USA. Here is the description the network provides for this new show: “Nicole Walters is a type-A, energetic, jet-setting entrepreneur, and Josh Walters is her quirky and devoted husband and lawyer. Nicole and Josh had only been married a few years when their whole lives changed — they decided to open their home and hearts to three sisters living on the streets. Suddenly, they became brand new parents and were an “instant family.” Helping them navigate the wild world of parenting (and bringing the laughs) is Nicole’s best friend and “manny,” Eddie. The high-energy series focuses on the importance of balancing work and family, laughter and love… and demonstrates how the greatest things in life can come together in an instant.”
- “Iyanla, Fix My Life” season No. 10, OWN
- “Married at First Sight” Lifetime
- “Married at First Sight Dating Help for Singles,” Lifetime
- “Stargirl,” season 2, the CW
- “Twenty Pearls, The Alpha Kappa Alpha Story,” documentary
- “Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living,” season 2, BET
- “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” season 8, BET
- “Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan,” season 2, Nickelodeon
Shows and films that wrapped since October:
- “High Expectations,” indie film
- “Little Women Atlanta,” season 6, Lifetime
- “Married to Medicine,” season 8, Bravo
- “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” season 13, Bravo
- “The Cube,” season 1, WarnerMedia
- “Vacation Friends,” film starring John Cena, Lil Rel Howery
- ”World Chase Tag,” TV reality TV
Credit: Georgia film office
Credit: Georgia film office
The number of active Georgia films and TV shows over time since June 2019:
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