A crime thriller with some serious creative firepower behind it just started filming in metro Atlanta, and it’s one of the more intriguing productions to hit Georgia this year. Turpentine began principal photography on May 11, 2026, and is scheduled to run through June 25 — operating locally under the code name “Dogwood.”
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the production is headquartered at Electric Owl Studios in Stone Mountain, where the production is using the facility for its offices and wardrobe department. All actual shooting, however, is taking place on location around metro Atlanta rather than on soundstages — which means you have a real chance of stumbling across this crew if you’re anywhere in the area over the next several weeks. Georgiaentertainment
Where the Script Comes From
Turpentine is based on a screenplay by Justin Varava that earned a spot on the prestigious 2024 Black List — the annual survey of Hollywood’s most-liked unproduced scripts. Making the Black List is a meaningful signal. It means the screenplay was circulating among producers and executives and generating real enthusiasm before a single frame was ever shot. Previous Black List alumni include Juno, The King’s Speech, and Spotlight. Filming in Georgia
What the Film Is About
Turpentine follows a deadbeat son who hires his friends to rob his own parents in order to pay off a bookie — with disastrous results. It’s a tight, pressure-cooker premise — the kind of story where one bad decision cascades into something much worse and drags everyone nearby into the wreckage. With Melissa McCarthy and Connor Storrie as the two leads, the mother-son dynamic at the heart of the story looks like it will be the emotional engine of the film. Filming in Georgia
The Cast
Melissa McCarthy has spent the past several years quietly building one of the more interesting dual careers in Hollywood — maintaining her status as a top-tier comedy draw while steadily taking on more dramatic and genre-driven work. She is best known for Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? — the latter earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. That performance proved she could carry serious dramatic material, and a tense, character-driven crime thriller feels like a natural extension of that range. She is also set to appear opposite Clive Owen in Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey on Paramount+, so this is a busy period for her in more serious territory. City LifestyleGeorgiaentertainment
Connor Storrie is one of the most talked-about emerging actors in Hollywood right now. He broke out in the 2025 series Heated Rivalry on Crave/HBO Max, a queer hockey romance in which he stars opposite Hudson Williams. Before that, he had smaller roles in film and television, including a brief appearance in Joker: Folie à Deux. His specific role in Turpentine hasn’t been officially confirmed, but given the film’s premise, the son at the center of the story is the logical assumption. AJCCity Lifestyle
The Director and Producers
Craig Zobel is a filmmaker with a strong track record in exactly the kind of tightly wound, character-driven storytelling that Turpentine calls for. He broke out with the indie films Compliance and Z for Zachariah, directed the controversial The Hunt in 2020, and has gone on to build an impressive television resume with credits on The Leftovers, Westworld, Mare of Easttown, and The Penguin on HBO Max. He has a particular gift for drawing out strong performances under pressure — exactly what this story demands. City Lifestyle
The producing team here is a real vote of confidence in the material. Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman are producing through their T-Street Productions banner, alongside Shivani Rawat‘s ShivHans Pictures. T-Street’s recent run has been remarkable — credits include the Knives Out franchise, Hit Man, American Fiction, and Poker Face. ShivHans Pictures’ recent credits include Hit Man, The Wedding Banquet, and The Assessment. Filming in Georgia + 2
Want to Be a Background Extra?
Rose Locke Casting is handling all background casting for Turpentine. Head to their website to get registered and keep an eye on their social media pages for specific casting calls as production moves through metro Atlanta. With filming running through late June and all shooting happening on location, there should be plenty of opportunities to get involved.
No distributor or release date has been announced yet. With Rian Johnson producing, Craig Zobel directing, and two strong leads in place, expect studio interest to materialize quickly.
