Netflix hit ‘The Hunting Wives’ to end NC filming due to state incentives change
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The hit Netflix TV show “The Hunting Wives” will no longer film in North Carolina, as the state has changed how funding incentives for movies and TV productions are doled out.
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“The Hunting Wives” is a drama following the lives and secrets of a wealthy Texas socialite and her friends. The first two seasons of the show were filmed in around the Charlotte area, but the third won’t be.
Since 2019, incentives for filming have been managed by the N.C. Department of Commerce as a cash flow program – funding could be secured based on future appropriations. The NC General Assembly changed the process to secure incentives, and the Commerce Department no longer car base funding on future appropriations.
The NC Film Office and Charlotte Regional Film Commission declined to discuss “The Hunting Wive’s” move Thursday.
Charlotte Observer news partner WSOC obtained an email from producer Joan Cunningham saying the show will no longer be filming in North Carolina, and will instead likely move to Georgia. That state and its film incentives have been a major lure for productions for years.
“The (incentives) program plays a key role in how we budget for each season and without the funds, the show will not be able to continue shooting in North Carolina,” Cunningham stated in her email. “We will miss our North Carolina family and hope our paths cross again very soon.”
Gov. Josh Stein also released a statement to WSOC: “North Carolina’s film industry is an important part of our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and bringing millions in investment to our state. We must protect that success and give productions the certainty they need to invest here for the long term.”
This isn’t the first time a show has left North Carolina because of shrinking incentives for filming.
North Carolina has made numerous changes to incentives for filming over the years. In 2014, North Carolina shifted to a grant program, and then gave recurring funding in 2018. The state’s film industry has waxed and waned through the years, facing competition from nearby states and funding shifts.
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The first three seasons of Showtime’s “Homeland” were filmed in and around Charlotte, but the show moved filming to international locations for season four and never returned. The first three seasons of “Banshee” were also filmed around Charlotte, but the show moved to Pennsylvania due to tax credits for its fourth and final season.
In 2019, the TV show “Outer Banks”, named for and set on the North Carolina coast, moved filming to South Carolina because of a controversial “bathroom bill” that prevented transgender people from using the bathrooms of their choice.
More details about North Carolina film incentives can be found at the North Carolina Film Office.
“The Hunting Wives” town of Maple Brook, Texas, doesn’t exist. Sharp-eyed streamers can identify some of the places in the fictional town around Charlotte, including:
The production also released a casting call for North Carolina-based extras. Tona B. Dahlquist Casting, an agency that cast extras in other shows filmed in the state, like “Homeland” and “Banshee,” issued a call for extras of all ages and ethnicities in October 2025.
Season 2 of “The Hunting Wives” will premiere on Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 26.
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