Arts, culture, events and entertainment options in Wilmington, NC

With the hotly anticipated “Summer I Turned Pretty” movie filming in the area and the locally shot ABC series “RJ Decker” waiting to see if it gets a second season, it’s been quite the eventful week in Wilmington’s film industry.

The big (yes, national) news was that “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” and the movie’s writer/director Jenny Han, went on social media asking for “privacy” and for fans not to “disrupt” filming by trying to take photos and videos of the cast’s famous actors, including Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung. Never mind that much of the movie’s filming takes place in public spaces, and the fans have every legal right to be there and even take photos if they wish.

As a person who’s covered Wilmington’s film industry for years, and been in the midst of it for many years before that, TSITP’s social-media callout was, if not unprecedented, certainly unusual. Judging from comments on social media, some supported the production’s expectation of privacy while others think the filmmakers, to put it nicely, should get over themselves.

“Safety” concerns were for actors and crew were cited in the show’s post, but worries about leaked plot points and movie details are likely a concern as well. (I wouldn’t know, the production didn’t respond to requests for comment.) Whether fans of TSITP take the hint remains to be seen; the movie continues shooting into June, if not longer.

Now let’s see what’s going down in Wilmington this weekend.

Weekend weather outlook

It’ll be a cool and wet weekend, with highs in the mid-70s, lows near 60 and rain all but certain on Saturday and Sunday.

Go | See | Do

We’ve got a diverse array of events in Wilmington this weekend, with theater, comedy, concerts and a number of film screenings. Should be something for most everyone. Full roundup is below.

The Dish with Port City Foodies

Food writer Allison Ballard has a list of restaurant and bar openings and closings in the Wilmington area, including a new martini and tapas lounge. A couple of popular downtown establishments are shutting down, including a longtime bottle shop and a waterfront Mexican spot.

Getting to know Chandler’s Wharf

One of the more distinct areas in downtown Wilmington, the multi-building collection of shops, offices and restaurants known as Chandler’s Wharf has ties to multiple eras of local history: the industrial waterfront of the 19th century and the revitalization era of the 1970s and ’80s. Full story below.