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Department of State

The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State

‘Wu-Tang’ Returns for Season 2 on Hulu

Television series shot entirely in New Jersey

NEWARK, N.J. – North Jersey stars as Staten Island in the Hulu television series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Season 2. Based on a true story, the show follows the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1990s -- a vision of Bobby Diggs, aka The RZA, who strives to unite a dozen young, black men that are torn between lives of music and crime. They eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories. Executive produced by RZA, Alex Tse, Method Man, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, the series is set to air on September 8th with the first three episodes of Season 2, followed by new episodes on “Wu-Wednesdays.”

While Season One covered the group's formation, Season Two will focus on the creation of their classic debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”. Produced by Imagine Television, Wu-Tang: Season 2 stars Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) as Millstone resident RZA, Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse) as Raekwon, Siddiq Saunderson (Messiah) as Ghostface Killah, and Dave East as Method Man.

Several North Jersey locations doubled for Staten Island in the 1990s, including 18th Avenue (walk and talk scenes), Cricket Club (Fever nightclub) and Myrtle Avenue (Bobby Diggs’ apartment) in Irvington. A building on Broadway near Elizabeth Avenue in Elmwood was transformed into Bleecker Bob's Records, the iconic New York City record store that closed in 2013. Additional scenes were filmed on North Arlington Avenue in East Orange, New Life Church in Elizabeth, Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, Montclair State University in Montclair, Newark Symphony Hall, NJPAC, 744 Broad, Independence Park (chess scene with Bobby Diggs) and Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, and at locations in Kearny, Paterson, Plainfield, and Secaucus.

“New Jersey has become a destination of choice for the film and television industry. In addition to the tax incentive programs we offer state-of-the-art studio space and a diverse portfolio of filming locations,” said Governor Phil Murphy. The Governor cited as examples CBS’s The Equalizer and Ways & Means, and HBO’s The Plot Against America, all filmed on location here in the last two years.

“Our film and digital media industry is a thriving economic sector. Small and large scale productions continue to feed our local economy and put people back to work,” said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. “We are delighted that our talented local crew was tapped, and local businesses were patronized during filming of this series.” Imagine Television reported approximately 275 crew members were hired for the filming of Wu-Tang: Season 2, generating millions of dollars in economic activity.

Wu-Tang: Season 2 and over 30 other productions to-date have recently been attracted to the state by New Jersey’s Film Tax Credit Program, which offers eligible production companies a 30-35% transferrable tax credit on qualified film production expenses, plus an additional 2% diversity bonus for qualified productions. Since the revival of the Tax Credit Program production has been booming in the Garden State, unlocking opportunities for thousands of New Jersey.

Gail Barringer, Co-Executive Producer added, “New Jersey’s lucrative film tax incentive and cooperation with local towns drew us to the Garden State to film Wu-Tang: Season 2. We shot at various locations across the state, many exteriors easily doubled for New York. New Jersey is the ideal state to shoot your series or feature, and lunch at Iberia’s in Newark is an extra treat.”


About the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission
The NJMPTVC, which falls under the New Jersey Department of State’s Business Action Center, is staffed by industry professionals and serves as a resource for production companies. The Commission promotes film and television production in New Jersey.
www.film.nj.gov

 


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