Debapriya Bhattacharya
Created by Jonas Pate, the Amazon Prime Video original series ‘The Runarounds’ is a coming-of-age musical drama series that is loosely based on the real-life band with the same name. It chronicles the lives of a group of teenagers from Wilmington, North Carolina, who leave high school and decide to form a music band, slowly becoming a source of inspiration for the younger generation in the community. The real members of the band, William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Jeremy Yun, Zendé Murdock, and Jesse Golliher, star in the series, alongside Brooklyn Decker. Loving the place and the people serves as the crux of ‘The Runarounds,’ with the band being backed by the people around them as they decide to fully dedicate themselves to achieving their goal.
Where Was The Runarounds Filmed?
‘The Runarounds’ was primarily shot on location in Wilmington, North Carolina, ensuring that the story comes across as well-grounded in reality. In some scenes, Wrightsville Beach stood in for Wilmington, being located only six miles east of the city. However, the focus on Wilmington as the location of choice happens to be a more layered choice than a simple one. It began in 2021 with creator and showrunner Jonas Pate auditioning for music bands in the region to appear on his other show, ‘Outer Banks.’ After receiving thousands of applications and narrowing them down to the finalists, he met with members of The Runarounds band, which was formed the very same year. After hearing them perform, he found the chemistry palpable and the musicians to be extremely talented. It was then that he came up with a rough story idea for the series.
In late 2022, a pilot episode was shot for the project, before Amazon Prime Video ordered the series on February 26, 2024. Principal photography began on July 18 of the same year. The production used local actors and talents, generating employment and driving up businesses, in addition to promoting the beautiful and bustling lifestyle of the city. The vibrancy of Wilmington complements the spirited youngsters chasing their dreams.
North Carolina has attracted numerous movie and television productions over the years to the region as part of a well-planned economic strategy. As per an Axios report, the North Carolina Film Office has announced roughly $138 million from the trade in the first half of 2025. The state offers financial incentives for producers to shoot in their territory, which includes a 25% rebate program for projects. To qualify for the program, a feature film needs to spend at least $1.5 million within the state to get a rebate of a maximum of $7 million. In the case of television shows, the minimum qualifying expenditure is set at $500,000 per episode on average, for a maximum rebate of $15 million per season. North Carolina Film Office director Guy Gaster told Axios on the subject, “A lot of production decisions are based on financial decisions.”
Wilmington, North Carolina
Filming for ‘The Runarounds’ took place all over the city of Wilmington, a port city in New Hanover County in North Carolina. It reportedly kicked off at New Hanover High School, situated downtown at 1307 Market Street. Some sequences were also captured at St. Mary’s Catholic School at 2017 South Fourth Street, and a neighboring private home. The makers focused on the downtown area as the primary setting, and diligently recorded the vibe to keep the narrative better rooted in reality and add dimensions to the characters.
Some of the places that are prominently featured include Greenfield Park at 1739 Burnett Boulevard and Bijou Park at 209 North Front Street. The crew set up tents and scaffolding outside a building at 101 Chest Street that became a prominent backdrop in the show. Local businesses like the GelaRto ice cream shop on the Wilmington Riverwalk, Bespoke coffee shop at 202 River Street, and the Dram Yard restaurant on South Second Street also found themselves on camera. For a series that celebrates personal relationships, community spaces gain added significance. As such, locations like Wilmington Visitor Center downtown, the Brooklyn Arts Center in 516 North Fourth Street, and the Common Desk co-working space at 226 North Front Street served as major locales.
Focusing on the personal lives of youngsters is incomplete without depicting their lives at home. Many private homes across streets such as South Fourth Street, Mimosa Place off Oleander Drive, Wayne Drive in Forest Hills, Shandy Lane off Greenville Loop Road, and Bradley Creek on Bradley Creek Point Road off Airlie Road, thus became important shooting locations. Embellishing the scenes are other iconic locations, such as the old railroad bridge christened Harry Forden Sixth Street Bridge.
With local cast and crew members being involved with the project, the representation of Wilmington, especially downtown, has been expansive and thorough. The city has served as the backdrop for ‘Outer Banks’ from the same creator, Josh Pate, as well as for ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ another Amazon Prime Video original. Other projects that have favored the place as their shooting destination include ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ ‘One Tree Hill,’ ‘The Conjuring,’ ‘Iron Man 3,’ ‘Blue Velvet,’ and the 2022 ‘Scream.’
Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
The scenic landscape of Wrightsville Beach doubled up as the Wilmington suburbs for some scenes of ‘The Runarounds.’ With characters seeking to free themselves from boundaries set by society and discover an outlet for their creative energy, the serenity of the beach provides the perfect backdrop, especially for the outdoor scenes. Apart from ‘The Runarounds,’ Wrightsville Beach has been the chosen shooting location for projects like ‘One Tree Hill,’ ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ and ‘Weekend at Bernie’s.’
Read More: Catch of the Day: Filming Locations and Cast Details
