From July to December 2019, the Orlando region served as the series headquarters and provided most of the filming locations.
Orlando, Fla. – The highly anticipated NatGeo and Warner Bros. Television series The Right Stuff launched the premiere season’s first two episodes today, October 9, on Disney+. The re-imagining of the 1983 movie of the same name follows the early days of NASA and the lives of the seven Project Mercury astronauts and their families. From July to December 2019, the Orlando region served as the series headquarters and provided most of the filming locations.
The Orlando Economic Partnership’s Orlando Film Commission worked with the project during preproduction and production, finding and securing locations, processing all permits and facilitating conversations between the production and government partners including the City of Orlando and Orange County. The series helped boost the Orlando regional economy by employing nearly 600 local professionals, reserving more than 7,500 hotel room nights, securing location and sound stage rentals as well as renting equipment, hiring caterers and more over the course of 185 total production days.
“Through the exceptional collaborative work of our partners at Universal Studios Florida Production Group (USFPG), the Florida Office of Film & Entertainment, the City of Orlando and its Green Works initiative, Full Sail University and Orlando-based producer Wayne Morris, we secured the series’ production headquarters in Orlando,” says Sheena Fowler, Orlando film commissioner and Orlando Economic Partnership vice president of innovation.
“By bringing together multiple partners throughout the industry and across the region, we were able to leverage our authentic locations and experienced crew and talent, proving what film in Orlando looks like – creative, experienced and innovative – all while significantly stimulating the economy.”
Sheena Fowler, Orlando film commissioner and Orlando Economic Partnership vice president of innovation
Coming on the heels of David Makes Man, an Oprah Winfrey Networkseries filmed entirely within Orange County and currently available on HBO Max, The Right Stuff was a significant win for the region and the State of Florida. A collaborative effort with the Space Coast Film Commission, Film Tampa Bay and the Florida Office of Film and Entertainment along with the state-of-the-art production facilities at USFPG proved to be the perfect combination to win the production and provide the resources needed to meet quality standards, budget and timeline. Locations within the Orlando region spanned the jurisdictions of the City of Orlando, Orange County, Winter Garden, Sanford and Osceola County, with the offices and soundstages at USFPG serving as the series headquarters. Additional scenes were filmed in Brevard and Hillsborough Counties.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions produces the series in collaboration with Warner Bros. Television, with DiCaprio (Wolf of Wallstreet), Jennifer Davisson (The Revenant), Mark Lafferty (Halt and Catch Fire) and others executive producing. Wayne Morris (David Makes Man, Miami Vice) is one of the series’ producers and the cast includes high-profile actors such as Patrick J Adams (Suits), James Lafferty (One Tree Hill), Jake McDorman (American Sniper), Colin O’Donohue (Once Upon A Time) and Eloise Mumford (Fifty Shades of Grey), among others.
In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Orlando Film Commission processed over 200 permits for projects that injected over $50 million into the local economy. Post-COVID-19, the Orlando region has been successful in attracting new productions, thanks to the support of our local governments and the productions’ willingness to go above and beyond all mandated safety protocols. Since May, the Orlando region has hosted many projects including large-budget commercials for Coca-Cola, Travelers Insurance, CarMax, Rocket Mortgage, Schwinn, T-Mobile and more.
The first two episodes of The Right Stuff are now available to stream on Disney+, with additional episodes released weekly. For more information on the Orlando Film Commission, contact Orlando Film Commission and Partnership Vice President of Innovation, Sheena Fowler.
About the Orlando Film Commission
The Orlando Film Commission (OFC) is an integral part of the Orlando Economic Partnership, responsible for marketing the Orlando region as a premiere production destination. To promote the region’s experienced workforce and variety of locations and studio space, the Orlando Film Commission maintains crew and support services databases and a locations directory, which are complimentary assets available to any production looking to film in the region. Renowned for world-class service, the Film Commission proudly represents the region’s creative economy while working in tandem with local governments to ensure the success of both productions and our local communities.