Netflix’s 'Outer Banks' Wasn’t Even Filmed In North Carolina & Here’s Why They Opted Out

Netflix's dramatic mystery series Outer Banks captivated audiences across the globe. It follows a group of teens in a coastal town on their journey to discover a hidden treasure linked to a haunting disappearance.

Though the show takes place in a fictional town in North Carolina's Outer Banks, production actually took place in Charleston, South Carolina, a coastal port city roughly 500 miles away.

The reason for opting out of filming in the state of North Carolina was a political one.

In 2016, North Carolina passed House Bill 2, also known as "the bathroom bill," an anti-2SLGBTQIA+ legislation that requires individuals to use restrooms that correspond with their biological sex assigned at birth.

The bill prevents transgender individuals from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

Despite repeals in 2017, remnants of the law were still in effect in 2019, when Outer Banks began filming for its first season.

This prompted Netflix to make the decision to take production to Charleston, SC instead.

“When we wrote [Outer Banks], it was 100 percent Wilmington in our heads. We wanted to film it here. But Netflix made the right decision to insist on inclusivity and we completely agree with them,” creator Josh Pate told Wilmington Star News back then.

“This tiny law is costing this town 70 good, clean, pension-paying jobs and also sending a message to those people who can bring these jobs and more that North Carolina still doesn't get it," Pate told The Fayetteville Observer, regarding his home state.

In December 2020, House Bill 2 was fully repealed, and Tate has expressed interest in bringing production to North Carolina, in wake of the law being overturned.

Outer Banks is currently filming episodes for the third season in South Carolina. The release date is not known at this time.