From ‘Talladega Nights’ to ‘The Exorcist,’ Hollywood East Brewseum collects film history

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - From “The Exorcist” to “The Crow,” horror films have deep ties to southeastern North Carolina. Now a new Wilmington taproom is giving fans a chance to see memorabilia from those productions up close.

Hollywood East Brewseum opened on Market Street a few weeks ago. Co-owner Tyler Christensen describes it as a taproom, restaurant and space celebrating the region’s film industry.

“Wilmington obviously has a very long history in the film industry, and it’s been known as ‘Wilmywood’ or ‘Hollywood East,’ so we wanted to lean into that,” Christensen said.

Inside the building on Market Street, you’ll find original costumes, props and other memorabilia from movies or TV shows that were shot around North Carolina.

“My husband used to work at Screen Gems doing the tours and when they stopped doing that it occurred to us there’s nowhere in town that celebrates this rich history,” said Christensen. “It was kind of being forgotten.”

Among the items on display are an outfit Will Ferrell wore in “Talladega Nights,” the original Fisherman costume from “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” autographed “One Tree Hill” jerseys and a drum set from “The Runarounds.”

“A lot of them were just tucked away in closets or garages,” Christensen said. “We’ll be rotating displays probably every two months to keep everything fresh.”

Christensen is a writer, and his husband works in public relations for NBCUniversal. Both worked in the film industry and lived in Los Angeles before moving to Wilmington. They have been collecting memorabilia for about four years, starting with a dress Sandra Bullock wore in “28 Days.”

“We know people who have worked on these shows or movies over the years,” Christensen said. “I think that was step one in deciding whether or not this was a realistic thing and seeing, ‘Are there props and things we could get our hands on?’”

The collection has sparked conversations between visitors who love the films and people who worked on them, Christensen said.

“It’s been so fun to watch a tourist stand there and go ‘that’s my favorite movie!’ and the guy standing over her shoulder goes ‘oh do you want to hear a funny story about the time I drove that guy to set that one day?’” said Christensen. “We’re celebrating both the community who loves this stuff and the community who made it, which I think is the perfect match.”

The owners also work with local breweries to serve beers alongside film-themed drinks.

Just in time for Halloween, the taproom has what Christensen calls a ‘horror corner’ featuring items including Annabelle, “Scream” masks and the fish from “Piranha 3DD.”

Hollywood East Brewseum is open now, with a grand opening planned for mid-November. It is at 1202 Market St. in Wilmington.

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