Posted in North Carolina History April 16, 2015 by

This Has Terrified Millions Of People… And It Happened Here In North Carolina

On a quiet night in Wilmington, this gorgeous coastal town becomes a bit otherwordly. Large live oaks flow for miles into the distance, their limbs spin and intertwine high into a quiet, dark sky. Interrupting the eerie silence, you may hear a bird chirping in the distance, the echo of a branch cracking, a splash in faraway water.

This land is bright, beachy, and active during the day but turns into something quite different at night. Something haunted, maybe a bit beyond our understanding. Almost like a fairytale, or a horror story. It’s no surprise several horror films have been shot in Wilmington over the last decade. The atmosphere, the scenery, is almost so beautiful it can feel like a constructed movie set.

But what makes this an even bigger honor is that a movie named “best horror movie of the decade” by entertainment blog Watch Moto was shot in Wilmington. Can you guess which one it is?

The Conjuring was shot primarily in Wilmington using several locations as the backdrop for this epic thriller.

1. In 2013, The Conjuring grossed $41,855,326 on its opening weekend.
2. The Conjuring is set in the 1970's. The movie follows two paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are attempting to help Carolyn and Roger Perron with a dark haunting in their home.
3. The Conjuring is based entirely on true events.
4. Lorraine Warren is a real-life clairvoyant who, along with her husband Ed Warren, are internationally known paranormal investigators.
5. In regards to the Perron's case, Lorraine Warren has said "the level of infestation in that house, along with the terrified mother and children, made it one of the most extreme cases they ever had to deal with."
6. The central antagonist, Bathsheba, is a witch who hung herself in the 1800's and is said to curse anyone who tries to take her land. Several deaths have occurred at the property long before the Perron's moved there.
7. The film was directed by James Wan.
8. Wilmington filming locations included the exterior of First Baptist Church located on 411 Market St.
Deviant Art
9. And Carolina Apartments at 420 Market St. also a filming location for the movie Blue Velvet.
The Movie District
10. The interiors were constructed to resemble haunted apartments and rooms. The exterior was also used for other scenes.
Youtube
11. The "tree" is actually a 50-ft. construction by set designers. None-the-less, still extremely spooky.
12. Cast members reported strange, unexplainable occurrences during the filming of the movie.
13. After signing for the movie, Jessa Farmiga, who plays Lorraine Warren, reported strange scratches on her computer.
14. The real-life Carolyn Perron fell, and broke her hip while visiting the set.
Siam Zone
15. During filming, cast members frequently, and unexplainably would wake up between 3-4AM, the "witching" hour.
16. "Annabelle" the real-life version of the Conjuring doll is kept in an archive along with several other objects from Ed and Lorraine's investigations.
Siam Zone
17. A prequel will be released June 10th 2016.

WOW! How scary! I got the heebie-jeebies just writing this. It’s pretty cool that North Carolina is home to some awesome, cult classic thrillers! Have you seen The Conjuring? What are some of your favorite horror movies filmed here?

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