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7 upcoming movies and shows that feature New Orleans
New Orleans is about to take center stage as a wave of movies and TV shows debut with the Crescent City as their backdrop.
Why it matters: It's welcome news for the city's film industry, which has seen a post-pandemic slowdown.
The big picture: While New Orleans was recently the country's fourth largest production hub, rising costs and industry shifts have pushed many projects overseas or to other states, writes Verite's Jasmine Robinson.
The industry is also figuring out its future amid the growth of streaming services.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law in June that gives the state flexibility with its tax credit program to help lure more film productions, Robinson writes.
Between the lines: Productions for three shows based on books by New Orleans author Anne Rice appear to be moving elsewhere.
"Interview with a Vampire," which shot two seasons in New Orleans, filmed its third season in Toronto.
The next season of "Mayfair Witches" will be set in Salem, Massachusetts, and a new show was shot in the U.K., according to TV Insider.
Watch now/soon
💃🏽 "Big Easy Queens" on Hulu: This feature film is a darkly comic drag thriller staring "RuPaul's Drag Race" queen Suzie Toot and cabaret drag artist Miss Bouvèé.
It's set in New Orleans but was filmed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a publicist tells Axios New Orleans. (Trailer)
🌀 "Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time" on Hulu & Disney+: This five-part documentary series from executive producer Ryan Coogler ("Sinners") premieres July 27 on National Geographic.
It "offers an unprecedented, heart-pounding look at the disaster directly from those who lived through it," ABC says.
👑 "A King Like Me" on Netflix: This is a documentary about the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club and the impact COVID had on the krewe.
It also dives into how Black culture has shaped New Orleans and the nation, according to the film's description.
The film debuted at South by Southwest last year and started streaming June 19 on Netflix. (Trailer)
🎥 "Fatal Destination" on HBO Max and ID: A new episode of Jessica Biel's true crime show focuses on the 2003 murder of Shawn Johnson, who was found dead in a hotel hot tub in the French Quarter. (Trailer)
🪩 "America's Got Talent" on NBC: A New Orleans-based group called EDT Dance Team will be on the July 7 episode.
🔥 "Sinners" in theaters: This blockbuster from Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan continues to rake in money.
The Warner Bros. movie was shot in southeast Louisiana and set in the Mississippi Delta.
Catch "Sinners" streaming on Max beginning July 4.
In the works
🎸 "Spinal Tap II": The sequel to "This is Spinal Tap" is scheduled to premiere in September, Variety says.
The movie filmed in New Orleans and brought several big names to the city, including Elton John and Paul McCartney. (Photos from filming)
📹 "Primetime": Robert Pattinson of "Twilight" fame is producing the movie that filmed in New Orleans this year.
The story follows a "journalist who takes on an underworld of crime and ends up changing television forever," according to a casting call.
The movie is supposedly inspired by NBC's "To Catch a Predator," a quasi-reality show from the early 2000s that aimed to expose alleged sexual predators with undercover cameras, Variety reported.
🂣 "Last Hand": This movie wrapped up filming in New Orleans last week, according to information from the state.
It's about a bridge player who leads her team of misfits to the world bridge championships to save her sister's New Orleans bridge club, according to IMBD.
🔫 "NOLA King" on Paramount+: Samuel L. Jackson will star in this New Orleans-set crime drama, according to Deadline. It's a spinoff of Sylvester Stallone's "Tulsa King" show.
🍿 "Ella McCay": This Disney movie filmed in New Orleans last year and stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Emma Mackey and Kumail Nanjiani. (Full cast)
Its current release date is Dec. 12, Deadline says.
🧛🏻 "Interview with a Vampire" on AMC: Season 3 drops next year. It was filmed in Toronto, according to TV Insider.
🧙🏼 "Mayfair Witches" on AMC: While the first two seasons were filmed and set in New Orleans, TV Insider says the third season will be set in Salem. No word yet where the crew will be filming.
🕵🏻♂️ "The Talamasca: The Secret Order" on AMC: This TV show is inspired by New Orleans author Anne Rice's books. It was primarily filmed in the U.K. and premieres in October, TV Insider says.
🏝️ "People We Meet on Vacation" on Netflix: This romcom movie, based on Emily Henry's popular book, filmed in New Orleans last year. No word yet when it will start streaming.
🎞️ "Is God Is": This movie, an adaption from a play, filmed in New Orleans last year. It features Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox and Janelle Monáe, according to Deadline. No release date yet.
