
Author Patricia Cornwell (right) sits in on the production of "Scarpetta," a streaming series based on her popular crime novels.
Richmond plays a role in some of this year’s most anticipated shows and movies — whether it’s “Scarpetta,” starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis, or “Atlantis,” the semi-autobiographical musical by Pharrell Williams.
The region is no stranger to the small or big screens, serving as a filming location for numerous television and movie projects over the years including Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” Showtime’s “Homeland,” AMC’s “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” and Hulu’s “Dopesick” starring Michael Keaton. During summer 2024, Richmond once again buzzed with excitement as production crews and celebrities shot scenes around town for “Atlantis.” The film is named for the Virginia Beach apartments where Williams, the pop and R&B artist behind “Happy,” grew up. He often credits his hometown’s culture and community for his success — the musician has 13 Grammy awards and an Oscar nod.
“The movie is about love, community and family and pursuing your dream,” says Andy Edmunds, director of the Virginia Film Office, who worked closely on the project. “It’s really a postcard and a love letter to Virginia.”
The film features Portsmouth native Missy Elliott, along with actors Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Quinta Brunson and Tim Meadows, and is directed by Michel Gondry, who won an Academy Award for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
“Atlantis” had an economic impact of $80 million in Virginia, and hundreds of locals participated in the film, from professional set builders and camera crews to everyday people who served as extras. The movie’s theatrical release is scheduled for May 9, 2025.
Amazon Prime Video is set to release “Scarpetta” early this year. It’s based on award-winning author and former Richmonder Patricia Cornwell’s widely popular crime novels. The main character, played by Nicole Kidman, is a fictionalized version of Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro, Virginia’s first female chief medical examiner.
“She’s the inspiration for Dr. Scarpetta,” Cornwell says. “I had the amazing good fortune of working with one of the most talented medical examiners in the country, who happened to be a woman, back in a day where there weren’t many.”
Cornwell met Fierro in Richmond in 1984 while researching forensic science for her first book. She got her big break in 1990 with “Postmortem,” a novel based on a string of real-life murders that rattled the Richmond area.
“The Timothy Spencer case was the first time DNA was used to convict a serial killer in the United States,” Cornwell says. “I was working at the morgue with Marcella at that time. I’ll never ever forget how terrifying it was for everybody.”
While the show is filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, fans will recognize plenty of Richmond references. “It has the DNA of my books, but at the same time it offers some new things, so you get something extra,” says Cornwell, who makes a cameo in one of the episodes. As of press time, an official release date has yet to be announced for “Scarpetta,” but Amazon has picked up the series for at least two seasons.
The documentary “Daughters” began streaming on Netflix in August 2024 after receiving two top awards at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary feature film made the short list for the 97th Academy Awards. Chesterfield resident and CEO of Girls for a Change Angela Patton wrote and directed the film. The documentary follows four girls in the program Date With Dad, in which Patton facilitated a father-daughter dance in prison. Award-winning actor Kerry Washington served as an executive producer alongside Patton. “Daughters” is available to stream now.
Written by Hopewell native Lamar Giles, the young adult novel “The Getaway” is being adapted into a TV series by Sony Pictures. Several producers sought rights to the story, but Giles ultimately selected actor Don Cheadle’s company, This Radicle Act.
“Of course I knew and admired Don Cheadle’s body of work, but more important than that, for me, were the people he surrounded himself with,” Giles says. “They understand what’s important and unique about ‘The Getaway,’ and that means the world to me.”
The hero of his dystopian thriller is Jay Butler, a Black 16-year-old. Just 13% of children’s literature features a Black primary character, according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. For updates on the release of the television series, visit lamargiles.com.
Locations throughout the state were used to shoot “Written by Mike,” an independent picture written and directed by local filmmaker Ryan Cudahy. He attended James Madison University for video production before working on the Kevin Durant-inspired TV series “Swagger,” which was also filmed in Virginia. “Written by Mike” was primarily produced in Fredericksburg, where Cudahy founded the Fredericksburg Film Festival last year. The film is currently available from GreenApple Entertainment via its GreenApple Go free streaming service.
The coming-of-age comedy “Griffin in Summer” was shot in Richmond and premiered at the Tribeca Festival last year, where it won Best U.S. Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay and a Special Jury Mention for director Nicholas Colia. Additional 2024 festival coverage, plus the film trailer and interviews with the cast, can be viewed on YouTube.
The dark romantic comedy “Toxic” from Richmond-based writer and producer Eric Brown, doing business as Cinnamon Brown, is currently streaming on Tubi. His megachurch drama “Sundays After Church” will soon follow.
“My books would not sell under my name. People would say, ‘You’re a guy, you don’t know anything about women,’” Brown quips. “So, I created the pen name Cinnamon Brown, and my book went No. 1 on Amazon. I love doing relationship-based entertainment women want to see.”
Brown moved to Richmond three years ago and started volunteering as an extra in various films, where he met crew members and actors. “This whole area is a real hotbed of technical and acting talent,” he says. “About 95% of who I use [in my projects] are from Richmond.”
According to MovieMaker Magazine, Richmond ranks among the top 10 small cities to live and work in the film industry. The publication’s 2024 list places RVA in the same company as Boulder, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Savannah, Georgia. Virginia’s tax credit program ranges from 20% to 40% for film, TV and commercials.
“Richmond has this creative energy, from our cinema program at VCU [Virginia Commonwealth University] to the super-talented production community,” says the Virginia Film Office’s Edmunds. “And Richmond offers such a versatile location palette for storytelling.”