ATLANTA — Popular TV show ‘Will Trent’ kicked off its second season on Channel 2 and that’s great news for Georgia’s film industry.
Channel 2′s Candace McCowan spoke with the cast during WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.
They said it’s a big deal for many people getting back to work after months-long strike.
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“We come out of the gate smoking with a lot of action,” said Sonja Sohn who plays Amanda Wagner.
On Tuesday, it showtime again for the cast of ABC’s ‘Will Trent,’ a series based on a GBI agent in Atlanta. And it was filmed right here in Georgia.
“He’s going to start digging into wanting to know a little more about himself. He opened Pandora’s box and got a sense that there is a lot I don’t know about myself,” said Ramon Rodriguez, who plays Will Trent.
The cast’s return to work comes after months of waiting and fighting for a deal with big studios when the Writers Guild and SAG were striking in 2023.
This was also a return to some of their favorite spots here in Atlanta.
“If I want good seafood I can go to the Optimist, If I want BBQ, Sweet Auburn,” said Rodriguez.
“I kind of like that Virginia highland vibe you know. It’s giving you that middle-age walkable neighborhood vibration, Inman park,” said Wagner.
For businesses in Metro Atlanta, they’re happy to see the return of production.
“It’s big for a small community like Norcross,” said Paul Bennett, owner of Cultivation.
In Norcross at Cultivation Brewing Company, not far from studios in Chamblee and the Norcross soundstage where some Will Trent scenes are said to be shot, they welcomed the return.
“Any time people can get back to work and get their income back going again, I guess it gives them a little bit of freedom to get out and do the extracurriculars like come visit us and spend some money at the brewery,” said Bennett.
Some economists estimate the 2023 strike’s economic impact to be in the billions of dollars.
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It’s not clear how much the strike impacted Georgia’s more than $4 billion annual film industry or when, or if, the work will return to full swing.
But businesses, cast, and crew are thrilled to be back at it.
“We know tons of shows are shot here and we know it’s not always supposed to be Atlanta so it’s awesome to be able to show Atlanta for Atlanta,” said Erika Christensen, who plays Angie Polaski.
Georgia’s film industry has come back strong since the strike.
The day before the strikes started, Georgia had 34 films and shows in production.
At the height of the strikes, that number went as low as 10 with only reality shows surviving. But now, there are 40 projects in production, including Will Trent.
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