The critically-acclaimed TV series “Homeland” heads to Downtown Raleigh June 3-4 to film scenes for season three. The Showtime series normally shoots in and around Charlotte. Earlier this week, the show filmed a scene in The Charlotte Observer newsroom. (The News & Observer created a slideshow of the newsroom filming.)
Lou Buonpane, with the Raleigh city manager's office, says the crew will film on state property, including interior shots of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and exterior shots of the State Capitol building.
"It's great publicity," he says. "Everyone in Raleigh who subscribes to Showtime can tune in an see some of our Downtown."
In an interview with Yahoo! Voices, show producer Michael Click said that they chose to shoot in North Carolina partly because of the competitive tax incentives. North Carolina offers film producers a 25 percent tax credit, a major draw for large productions looking to cut costs. Recent blockbusters filmed in the state include The Hunger Games and Iron Man 3. The list of filming projects currently underway in North Carolina includes Eastbound and Down, Banshee, The Honeymoon, and Careful What You Wish For.
"Homeland" tells the story of a young, bipolar C.I.A. officer, Carrie Mathison (played by Claire Danes), who believes that former P.O.W and celebrated war hero Nicholas Brody (played by Damian Lewis) is secretly working for Al-Qaeda. In the first season, she tries to convince her mentor that Brody is dangerous and could be planning a terrorist attack. The show is set in Washington D.C., a setting that Charlotte emulates well, with its old courthouse, its University Research Park, and suburban neighborhoods that pass for northern Virginia.
"Homeland" is broadcast in dozens of countries and has garnered millions of viewers via television and web streaming platforms. While it has been widely praised, it has also received some criticism for its portrayal of Islam.
Filming in Downtown Raleigh will begin Monday, June 3 and end by 8:00 p.m. on June 4. Both sides of South Wilmington Street between East Morgan Street and Hargett Street will be blocked off, as well as part of the 100 block of Fayetteville Street.
