WILMINGTON, NC – Renowned YouTuber MrBeast has struck again, this time at Dark Horse Stages, where he filmed his latest video, "Every Minute One Person Is Eliminated." This marks the first significant production utilizing the studio's newly opened stages, which adds over 40,000 square feet of state-of-the-art production space to Wilmington’s burgeoning film industry.
Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, shot his video featuring contestants competing for a staggering $500,000 prize, echoing elements from the popular show "Squid Games." The setup included past winners from his "Beast Games" reality competition series, infusing the contest with familiarity and excitement.
According to Kirk Englebright, the President and CEO of Dark Horse Stages, they were "thrilled to host MrBeast and his incredible team for such a groundbreaking project." The expansion signifies not just growth for Dark Horse, which opened its doors back in 2020, but also reflects Wilmington's aspiration to become a significant player within the entertainment production sphere.
Englebright emphasizes the flexibility of the new stages, stating, "Our new stages are built with the utmost flexibility to accommodate everything from high-budget feature films to innovative digital-first content like MrBeast’s." Given MrBeast's global reputation, his choice of venue is seen as validation of Dark Horse's capabilities, as he could easily film anywhere around the world.
This impressive video shoot came during the studio's inaugural use of its expansive new facilities, which encompass two stages of 20,000 square feet each. The timing of MrBeast’s shoot has underscored Wilmington's 40-year legacy of filmmaking, juxtaposed with its recent infrastructure improvements.
While MrBeast’s reputation as the largest YouTuber continues to grow, it’s apparent the studio's enhanced resources will attract more high-budget productions moving forward. Englebright noted his hope for more collaborations with MrBeast, sharing, "We hope and anticipate they will do more here. They had a great experience in Wilmington."
MrBeast, who enjoys more than 350 million subscribers and nearly 72 billion cumulative views on his channel, has been redefining content creation, especially with projects steeped in high giveaways and grand productions. His unique approach to entertainment transcends typical YouTube content, attracting millions of viewers worldwide.
Following the immense success of this latest project, Wilmington’s film economy is buzzing with fresh momentum. Englebright reflected on this shift, noting, "There’s so much evolution taking place in the industry, I think we’re going to see a lot more content creators coming to the game." This evolution, centered on major YouTube personalities, adjusts traditional notions of film and content production.
It’s worth noting, though, amid the excitement, MrBeast is facing legal issues related to his prior productions. Reports surfaced of five contestants from the "Beast Games" series suing Donaldson, his production company, and Amazon Alternative for reasons ranging from poor working conditions to being misled about the number of participants. This lawsuit is currently pending and adds complexity to his career.
Despite this, the commitment to building Wilmington’s reputation as a hub for innovative digital content remains. Englebright also stated, "The goal is to bring in more high-budget films." His confidence paired with Dark Horse’s infrastructure symbolizes potential growth for the local film industry.
Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, echoed these sentiments, stating his desire to work closer with major content creators like MrBeast. "We’d like to work with MrBeast if they like to do more work in the area," he said. This encompasses hopes for both reality shows and strategically planned productions, which could reshape Wilmington's interaction with the film industry at large.
With the completion of its new soundstages, Dark Horse Stages provides Wilmington with fresh opportunities. Each soundstage stands 55 feet tall and is equipped to handle various formats and media, making the facility competitive with any studio worldwide. This positioning indicates Wilmington’s potential not only as a filming locale for traditional cinema but also as one nurturing the next generation of digital creators.
Overall, MrBeast’s filming at Dark Horse Stages signals more than just another YouTube video; it acts as a litmus test for the future of digital content creation grounded deeply within the local economies of cities like Wilmington.