Washington Black begins filming in Nova Scotia on March 28

If you’ve had enough of movies shot in Vancouver masquerading as New York, it seems you’re not alone: When it came time to shoot the limited-series Washington Black (adapted from Esi Edugyan’s hit, Giller-winning novel of the same name), show runners decided to head to the story’s real-life locale, filming the program right here in Nova Scotia—with some shoots even happening in Halifax.

Production of the series begins on March 28, making Washington Black one of the first sets to yell “action” since the provincial government announced a $23 million investment in Nova Scotia’s film industry earlier this month.

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With that provincial money, premier Tim Houston’s government is also setting up a $15 million fund to support local movie production over the next five years.

Telling the story of George Washington “Wash” Black, an 11-year-old who escapes an 1800s sugar plantation in Barbados, and his mentor Medwin Harris, a leader in Halifax’s Black community, the series delves into themes of self-discovery as the duo gallivants around the globe. Variety reported last October that Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) will play Harris, while Ernest Kingsley Jr. has been cast as Wash Black. The series will air in Canada on Disney+.

This article appears in Mar 1-30, 2022.