North Carolina has awarded $15 million for the Amazon Prime reality competition “Beast Games” to film parts of its second season near Wilmington and MrBeast’s hometown of Greenville.
This is the largest incentive the state can offer for one season of television under the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grants, a program launched in 2015 to attract TV and movie productions to the state. The award was specifically given to Trailblazer Events LLC, a Greenville-based production company working on the show.
Production crews that spend on average at least $500,000 per episode in the state can qualify for 25% expense rebates. This indicates Trailblazer could spend at least $60 million in North Carolina for Season 2 of “Beast Games.”
Premiered late last year, the first “Beast Games” season followed more than 1,000 contestants through a series of challenges for a lucrative cash prize. It was hosted by Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, who is the world’s most-followed YouTuber with 434 million subscribers.
Donaldson, 27, grew up in Greenville, an Eastern North Carolina city that’s home to East Carolina University. As a teenager, he fostered an online following with a series of stunts and money giveaways, eventually attracting millions of views with each video. MrBeast opened a studio in Greenville where his team has filmed many competitions. Some contests have included local residents; others have annoyed them.
“Beast Games” gave MrBeast his biggest budget yet. The first season filmed in Las Vegas and multiple contestants described miserable conditions inside the Las Vegas Raiders football stadium, including delayed access to medications and inadequate meals. Nonetheless, Amazon touted the series as its most-watched unscripted show ever on its Prime platform.
This campus in Greenville, N.C, houses the offices and operations for MrBeast.
Parts of Season 2 will still reportedly be set in Nevada, but other scenes have been “filmed in and around Pitt and New Hanover counties,” according to Gov. Josh Stein’s office.
On Wednesday, Stein was in Wilmington to announce incentives for three television series and four feature-length films. No other award approached the $15 million for the Beast Games production company. Other incentives included up to $2.5 million for Season 23 of “Top Chef” and more than $4 million for the movie “The Bard” to film in the Piedmont Triad region.
None of the money is distributed upfront according to the state Commerce Department, which administers the incentive program.
Last year, the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant awarded more than $41 million to 14 projects. This included $15 million for the smash-hit Amazon Prime show “The Summer I Turned Pretty” to film in Wilmington.
Beast Games premieres exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
“A flourishing film industry in our state is a win-win,” said Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office, in a news release. “Bringing economic benefits and job opportunities to our residents and elevating North Carolina’s presence on the global stage.”
The state requests all grant recipients to include a logo from the NC Film Office in their credits. So, whether Jimmy Donaldson mentions his home state or not, North Carolina will leave its mark on the next season.
Plus there’s a chance for another incentive ahead of an announced Season 3.
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