Possible third season of Netflix’s ‘Hunting Wives’ might move to Georgia

If Netflix gives its juicy soap “The Hunting Wives” a third season, it may leave North Carolina for Georgia, according to a recent report by a Charlotte TV station.

A change in North Carolina’s film and TV incentives program was a factor, according to an email received by WSOC-TV in Charlotte that was sent to “The Hunting Wives” staff from producer Joan Cunningham.

“The (incentives) program plays a key role in how we budget for each season and without the funds, the show will not be able to continue shooting in North Carolina,” Cunningham said in the email. “We will miss our North Carolina family and hope our paths cross again very soon.”

The email said the campy Lionsgate Television drama, if it receives a third season, would move to Georgia.

North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley told WSOC-TV: “We have had many conversations with Lionsgate about that production, trying to find a way to make an award to it so they could film this next season. Unfortunately, given our situation, we are not able to do that at this time, which is a huge disappointment to us.”

Patrice Gist, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, which oversees the state’s grant program, wrote in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “We don’t have anything further to add at this time.”

The Georgia film office didn’t return an email from the AJC seeking comment. Netflix and Lionsgate declined to comment to the AJC.

Malin Akerman as Margo (left) and Brittany Snow as Sophie in a Season 2 episode "The Hunting Wives." (Courtesy of Netflix)

If a move does happen, it would be a notable boost for the struggling Atlanta film and TV business, which has lost productions to other states that have beefed up their incentives and countries with lower costs and better exchange rates.

The first season of “The Hunting Wives” was a surprise hit for Netflix, with viewers abuzz over the steamy relationship between Brittany Snow’s Sophie, a married woman from New England adjusting to life in a small Texas town, and manipulative socialite Margo, played with gusto by Malin Akerman. The series features several murders, sexual shenanigans and multiple cases of extortion and blackmail.

The series spent five weeks in the Netflix Global Top 10 despite only being available in the United States as a pickup from Starz. Lionsgate had sold the series to Netflix after it separated from Starz and bought back the show’s rights.

Following renegotiations after Season 1 came out, “The Hunting Wives” is now an official Netflix-branded series that will be available in most countries worldwide when the second season debuts Nov. 26.

The film and TV incentives programs in North Carolina and Georgia differ.

Georgia offers tax credits to production companies of up to 30% on qualified expenditures. If the film company doesn’t need the credits, they can sell them to a Georgia taxpayer who wants them. The tax credit, which helped fuel Georgia’s film industry over the past 18 years, has no cap, so films and TV shows don’t have to worry about the credits disappearing.

Dermot Mulroney, who plays Jed in "The Hunting Wives," told a podcast in May that producers were already prepping for a third season although Netflix has not officialy renewed the show. (Dana Hawley/Netflix)

In the fiscal year ending June 30, Georgia certified $678 million in tax credits.

In contrast, North Carolina’s incentive program is much more modest. The state Legislature sets aside $31 million a year to hand out to movies and TV shows via a 25% cash rebate.

Stephen Weizenecker, an Atlanta attorney who works on film and TV tax credits, said in recent years that North Carolina has occasionally taken unused money from previous years and dispensed it in a subsequent fiscal year.

The Legislature recently informed the North Carolina Department of Commerce that it can no longer do that. Instead, Weizenecker said, “it’s use it or lose it.”

As a result, because the $31 million for fiscal year 2027 is already accounted for, the state has no money to give to “The Hunting Wives” for a third season.

According to WSOC-TV, “The Hunting Wives” received nearly $12 million in tax credits for Season 1. Lionsgate has been awarded up to $15 million for Season 2. That money is committed but hasn’t been disbursed yet.

Lionsgate is a long-term tenant at Great Point Studios in Douglasville and could potentially use that space for “The Hunting Wives” next year. Thos Halmi, property manager at Great Point Studios, said on Tuesday that he had not heard directly from Lionsgate about “The Hunting Wives” but was aware of the WSOC-TV report.

A handful of shows have come to Atlanta in recent years from other states.

Paramount+’s murder mystery thriller “Diarra From Detroit” last year moved from New Jersey for Season 1 to Atlanta for Season 2. The series’ second season came out in late July.