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The streamer's upcoming North Carolina-set drama 'OBX' will shoot in South Carolina instead.
North Carolina's controversial legislation is impacting Hollywood's decision to film in the state.
Netflix has opted to film its upcoming North Carolina-set series OBX, a coming-of-age drama set in a fictional town in the state's Outer Banks, in South Carolina instead due to remnants of North Carolina's anti-LGBTQ House Bill 2. Best known as "the bathroom bill," the law requires transgender people use the public restrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate. The legislation first drew criticism when it was enacted in 2016, with some studios even pulling their projects out of the state.
Despite the fact that North Carolina repealed a section of the law in 2017 following a year of backlash, it didn't completely overturn HB2. One problematic piece of the replacement bill, per insiders, is a clause that forbids municipalities from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances for any group not included in state law — including LGBTQ people — until 2020. Sources suggest the law wasn't the only reason the streamer opted to not film in North Carolina, though it was a key factor. "This is an economic development project and therefore we don't discuss pending projects," Guy Gaster, director of North Carolina's film office, told The Hollywood Reporter.
HB2 was bad legislation (that went well beyond the bathroom issue that created such sensationalized controversy) but it was also a symptom of a larger problem with a faction of the state legislature wanting to micromanage communities across the state by punishing the more socially and economically progressive places and forcing them into their right wing vision of social and economic issues.
Codified discrimination shouldn't exist anywhere at a minimum. But the faction of the legislature that was pushing HB2 has also tried to meddle into local affairs that they have not business in (i.e. Sen. Trudy Wade trying to reduce the size of Greensboro City Council, etc.) because they don't care for the vision of the local jurisdiction, even though they aren't legitimately the unit of government that was elected to set local visions.
As far as HB2 is concerned, one thing I do hate about the entertainment industry's stance is that they are "punishing" the wrong people, and people who very likely didn't support HB2 themselves and economically hurting those that really have nothing to do with it. Like if a teacher were to say "if the person who cheated on the test doesn't confess, the entire class will be getting a failing grade on it."
As much as I disliked HB2, this is really nothing more than a righteous cover explanation for choosing a cheaper location to film. They are not the first company to use this type of excuse either. But it fans the flames of a now-old controversy, makes them look like they're on the "right' side, and serves their ultimate purpose just fine. So... Yawn.
As much as I disliked HB2, this is really nothing more than a righteous cover explanation for choosing a cheaper location to film. They are not the first company to use this type of excuse either. But it fans the flames of a now-old controversy, makes them look like they're on the "right' side, and serves their ultimate purpose just fine. So... Yawn.
My thoughts exactly. If the General Assembly had not gutted the film incentives, I seriously doubt we would be talking about this right now.
This is nothing more than a political statement. Our state is an economic powerhouse whether we mind whose using what bathroom or not. Ask New Jersey they don’t mind yet that hasn’t cured their economic problems. You guys give too much weight to minor social issues. Businesses move where they make the most money, notice it’s only major corporations doing stuff like this. It’s nothing more than a statement on their part.
Wow, they found someone that buys into the HB2 reason for not filming here.
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