Tiny little Watha, NC, was the location for three weeks of filming on the movie "The Secret Life of Bees" which hit theatres on October 17th, 2008.
Watha is a small town in Pender County, southeastern NC, near Burgaw. The population is only 190 people but it will now be exposed to millions of viwers as the setting in this star-studded movie based on a popular novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Stars include Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo and they were all on location in Watha during the filming.
The setting needed for the film was an islolated farmhouse in South Carolina and the Watha home chosen and the surrounding town turned out to be just perfect - although the house did need to be painted a bright pink color to fit the description from the book! The film crew also built a "honey house" - where Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson's characters stayed - which is still there on the property.
The filming experience was really exciting for Watha residents as this was certainly not an everyday occurance here in town. There were some disruptions and disturbances to the flow, to be sure, but overall, it was a positive and rewarding experience for most people.
The DQ Smith convenience store in nearby Willard, NC was also used in the filming of "The Secret Life of Bees."
I'm a Burgaw real estate agent who specializes in Pender County, NC real estate including Burgaw, Rocky Point, Atkinson, Currie, Willard, and Watha. So I was especially excited to see so much exposure for Pender County, NC homes and properties in such a big budget, star laden film.
The greater Wilmington, NC area has long been a hub for the film industry and is actually considered the Hollywood of the East. Wilmington is home to EUE Screen Gems Studios and has been the location for popular TV shows "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill" as well as many films including "Firestarter" and "Sleeping with the Enemy."
If you were enamoured of the Watha homes in "The Secret Life of Bees," be sure to visit my Burgaw real estate website, give me a call at 1-877-259-7156, or email vicki@vickifoster.com.
Thank you!
Note: The Star-News reported on the filming on 10/16/08 here: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20081016/ARTICLES/810160256
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