As the ‘Hollywood of the South,’ Atlanta has boomed. Its actors and crew are now at a crossroads

By R.J. RICO
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — For more than a decade, work had been nonstop in Atlanta’s booming film industry thanks to Georgia’s extremely generous tax break. Dubbed the “Hollywood of the South,” metro Atlanta became ubiquitous as a backdrop for huge projects, including Marvel films and “Stranger Things.” But work dried up last winter and has been at a near-standstill ever since the industry’s writers went on strike in May and the actors joined them in July. Writers reached a deal late last month, but with the actors strike still ongoing, many Atlanta-based performers and behind-the-scenes crew members members are grappling for financial survival.