Is Dahlonega-based, binge-worthy viewing coming to a streaming service near you?
Well, stranger things have happened in other Georgia towns.
And last Monday Sam McDuffie informed the Dahlonega City Council that he’s currently in talks with Netflix officials about just such a development.
“They’re looking to bring a series, not just a movie, but an actual TV series here,” said the Executive Director of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Bureau.
If the deal comes through, Dahlonega would serve as the backdrop for a twisty murder mystery.
And that means locals may soon grow accustomed to seeing film crews on the job in Lumpkin County.
Last week, Netflix issued a release with more details on the mini-series which will star Tessa Thompson, who Marvel fans will recognize as the supernaturally powered Valkyrie from the Thor series. Thompson will also executive produce the series which is based on the novel His & Hers by Alice Feeney.
“There are two sides to every story: His & Hers,” reads the series tagline. “Which means? Someone is always lying.”
While Dahlonega’s role is not yet completely set in stone, McDuffie said he recently spent multiple days with Netflix representatives as they searched for film-ready locales, including wineries, restaurants and even the mine shafts of Consolidated Gold Mine.
“They’re now saying about 40 percent of the episodes will be filmed in our community,” said McDuffie.
The effort to attract a high quality production to the community has been a recent priority for McDuffie, who explained that a hit show can often mean big things for the local economy.
ON THE SET
For proof of the Netflix effect, look no further than 120 miles down south in Jackson, better known as Hawkins, Indiana to Stranger Things fans.
Anna Leigh Adams said that the show, which first aired in 2016, has helped revitalize their downtown square.
“When Stranger Things filmed here it brought a lot of local business,” said the Butts County Chamber of Commerce Marketing Coordinator. “On our town square, half the buildings were for lease. There was nothing in there. Then the businesses came. … We’ll get visitors from literally all over the world, all the time.”
The popularity of the show has resulted in Stranger Things themed businesses like Hawkins Headquarters, Jackson Escape Games and even the upcoming Stranger Things Con. That October convention has already resulted in a flurry of bookings for local hotels and Airbnbs, said Adams.
“That’s estimated to bring 5,000 to Jackson just that weekend,” she said.
The Butts County Chamber has creatively catered to the crowd with a downtown map that also features a special Upside Down version that pinpoints filming locations throughout town.
McDuffie pointed out that similar success stories can be seen in Covington, the home of Vampire Diaries or The Walking Dead in Senoia and Tulsa Kings in neighboring Hall County.
“All of those have been a tourism draw for people who are huge fans of the shows,” said McDuffie when talking to The Nugget last week. “And it allows us to create a tourism route that would allow them to come to Dahlonega and Lumpkin County and maybe see the places were scenes are filmed.”
DESTINATION DAHLONEGA
In the case of this Netflix series, the creators actually reached out to McDuffie first.
And for good reason.
While many TV series take place in fictional towns, this script, as it is currently written, incorporates Dahlonega as the actual setting for the story.
“Set in the sweltering heat of Atlanta, Anna (Thompson) lives in haunting reclusion, fading away from her friends and career as a journalist,” read the recently released synopsis on Netflix’s official companion site Tudum. “But when she overhears talk about a murder in Dahlonega — the sleepy north Georgia town where she grew up — Anna is snapped back to life, pouncing on the case and searching for answers.”
McDuffie said this could add an extra level of local awareness if, or when, the series debuts.
“So not only are we going to have it filmed in Dahlonega, knock on wood, but also Dahlonega’s name will be mentioned often throughout the TV show as well,” he said.
If the local production gets the green-light, then shooting will start soon, with the bulk of filming taking place here in November.
“It would be mostly out of town filming with some filmed downtown,” McDuffie said.
In the meantime, Visitors Bureau officials will be waiting for the final word from Netflix. And if the deal comes through, that could mean lights, camera and action for Dahlonega.
“It really could be a game changer,” said McDuffie.
Or, in other words, sometimes a single show can turn a local tourism industry completely upside down.