ATHENS, GA (March 19, 2024) — Less than two years after first breaking ground, Athena Studios had only been open for a couple months before the historic 2023 Writers Guild of America strike put the entire film and television industry on hold. With production resumed, Athena is ready to welcome its first major studio shoot.
“The Woman in the Yard,” a feature film from Blumhouse Productions, is expected to begin shooting at Athena in mid-April and continue into May. Universal Pictures is the theatrical distributor for Blumhouse, the company responsible for recent box office hit “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and the 2017 Oscar winner “Get Out.”
Atlanta native Danielle Deadwyler will produce and star in “The Woman in the Yard,” which will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who helmed the Disney summer blockbuster “Jungle Cruise” in 2021. Deadwyler starred as Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie, in 2022’s “Till,” and received six awards for her performance.
News about “The Woman in the Yard” was first reported in February by film industry publications such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, but information about where the movie would be shot remained under wraps.
Athena Studios CEO Joel Harber confirmed with the Banner-Herald that production would take place on Athena’s stages as well as on locations in Athens and in Bostwick, which is in Morgan County.
“Athena Studios is a world-class facility and Athens is a world-class town,” said Harber. “Blumhouse has been setting up in our offices for a couple weeks, and they’ve already spent a couple thousand dollars at Maepole. As production gets underway, they’ll be spending even more on catering and lodging.”
Harber said that one of the best ways for locals to support the film industry in Athens is to consider registering their property and businesses as potential shooting locations. More information on that can be found at georgia.org/industries/film-entertainment/georgia-film-tv-production/list-your-property-as-a-film-location.
“The Woman in the Yard” is scheduled for release on Jan. 10, 2025.
