Filming at Oak Island and NC Beaches for Netflix Film

Oak Island LighthousePhoto by the author

Yes, you read that title correctly! As of April 2021, filming crews have been around the NC coast at various locations shooting for an upcoming Netflix film.

Film title: Along for the Ride

Genre: quaint beachy setting for teen romance story/teen coming-of-age

The film is an adaptation of a New York Times bestselling young adult novel Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, a North Carolina author.

Filming sites:

• Kure Beach
• Oak Island Beach
• Wilmington
• Carolina Beach

Directed by & screenplay by: Sofia Alvarez

Starring:

• Emma Pasarow
• Belmont Cameli
• Kate Bosworth
• Laura Kariuki
• Andie MacDowell (an NC native!)
• Dermot Mulroney
• Samia Finnerty
• Paul Karmiyran
• Marcus Scribner
• Ricardo Hurtado

According to the presentation by Night Owl Productions LLC to the Town of Carolina Beach, town council meeting on April 13, 2021, the filming is expected to be done primarily at Carolina Beach, with some scenes being shot at other local NC coastal locations.

April 26-May 10 filmings took place in the Kure Beach area, which was unanimously approved by the Kure Beach council. Filming in these areas brings interest and gives the state coastal areas a chance in the spotlight.

This film is starting on the heels of several others just wrapping up in the area like The STARZ series Hightown, and films I.S.S. starring Chris Messina, and The Black Phone starring Ethan Hawke. It is expected that roughly half of the film will take place in the Carolina Beach and Carolina Beach boardwalk areas.

Some of the stores and businesses expected to be featured in the filming are:

• Nauti Dog Restaurant
• Pleasure Island Rentals
• Nest Realty
• Carolina Smokehouse
• Carolina Beach Scuba
• Melissa’s Coin Laundry
• Havana’s Restaurant
• North End Java Stop
• a few homes on Carolina Beach Road and Carolina Beach Avenue.

Council members expressed interest in hosting the filming but also a concern for the impact on local businesses who are having their first season back after last year's Covid-influenced downturn for business. With these concerns minimized and relieved, council members were more confident in approving the filming permits for the area.

Oak Island Beach, June 2021Photo by the author

Some of the nighttime scenes will be filmed at the Oak Island area with the lighthouse adding ambiance to the film. Filming is expected to be completed early-mid June 2021.

The film tells the story of teen Auden meeting another teen, Eli who also is quite the insomniac. The two embark on nightly adventures to capture that carefree teen life Auden didn't even know she'd been missing. The coming-of-age tale is perfectly set on the coast of NC where sleepy coastal towns, quaint shopping and business areas, gorgeous sandy shores, and beautiful scenery can set the stage for a sensory swoon on the big screen or Netflix.

Historical homes in Southport, NCPhoto by the author

It's no wonder so many film crews have made trips to the area to gather that coastal ambiance to complete their film productions. It's also no wonder so many novels are set in the beautiful area.

If you have not had the chance to visit the Oak Island Beach area, try a stay at the Holiday Inn & Express at Bolivia, NC, a mere 5 miles from the beach. This is where I first learned of the filming crews making their way through the coastal towns. The cook staff and hotel staff were thrilled to share about the excitement of the filming of Along for the Ride.

I have to wonder how nice it would be to live in an area that's so lovely people write about it, plan movies around it, and that others love watching it play out on the screen. Perhaps Zillow can show me a few properties there! For anyone who has not visited the North Carolina beaches, you are in for a treat. They truly are spectacular.

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