Melissa McCarthy and Connor Storrie will co-star in Turpentine, a crime thriller scheduled to begin filming in Atlanta from May 11 to June 25.
“Heated Rivalry” actor Connor Storrie (left) and comedic actor Melissa McCarthy/AP photos
Shooting will be on location, while the Electric Owl Studio will be used for administrative functions and wardrobe. Turpentine, written by Justin Varava, was featured as one of the best unproduced screenplays in the 2024 Black List.
The movie is about a gambler who hires his friends to steal from his parents to pay off a mafia bookie, leading to a series of disastrous consequences. It’s full of dark comedy and suspense, but it also has a strong storyline that could make it a hit thriller.
Craig Zobel is the director. He is known for Mare of Easttown. Notably, there won’t be a soundstage for this one. The decision to film in the real-life streets of Atlanta is more likely to create a grounded, gritty vibe for the film. That’s always to be expected with Zobel.
It feels much like a homecoming for McCarthy. Over the past few years, she has filmed 5 major features in the state. These hits, including Identity Thief, The Boss, Life of the Party, Superintelligence, and Thunder Force, elevate the standing of Georgia’s film tax credit.
But her interest in the city is not just business. In the 2010s, she and her husband Ben Falcone owned a home in Atlanta. Her return, together with Connor, ignites fresh interest in Georgia’s film industry since the pandemic shutdowns.
McCarthy is known for comedy, although lately she has been pivoting towards more nuanced roles, as captured in Turpentine. Connor is currently one of the hottest names in the industry following the unexpected major success of the HBO Max series Heated Rivalry.
In the series, he plays a professional hockey player caught in a love affair with a rival. The movie shed light on the plight of queers in sports. It earned him a gig on Saturday Night Live, strengthening his position as a hot commodity in the industry. The generational crossover between Connor and McCarty in the Turpentine cast is not accidental. It’s strategic to help draw both younger and older demographics to the genre. Generally, this genre doesn’t often attract a lot of Gen Z audiences.
Turpentine comes at a pivotal moment for the state’s film sector. This is not the 2010s, when everyone from Hollywood wanted a piece of Georgia. Nonetheless, the massive film tax credits and discounts for production companies are still in place. Netflix is still maximizing this potential with Scooby-Doo, and Warner Bros with Superman.
Producers are also looking further than Atlanta to capture what Georgia has to offer. Judd Apatow is filming Comeback King on location in Savannah and Macon. Meanwhile, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will start filming for Lizard Music in Fayetteville in August.
As much as Georgia’s film production volume has dwindled through the years, it’s still an attractive destination. The state’s robust tax incentives and a skilled labor force continue to attract A-listers. As filming for Turpentine kicks off, more celebrity sightings are to be expected, but most importantly, the local economy is expected to get a direct boost.
