Dark Horse Stages
Dark Horse Stages operates a purpose-built 82,500 SF film and television production studio facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, renting sound stages and production support services to major studios, streamers, and digital content creators including Paramount, Netflix, Amazon, Hallmark, and MrBeast.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersWilmington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Dark Horse Stages does
Dark Horse Stages, Inc. (formerly Dark Horse Studios) is a privately held film and television production facility company headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, founded in 2020 by Kirk Englebright and Rodney Long. The company operates an 11.5-acre purpose-built production campus at 301 Harley Road offering 82,500 square feet of sound stage space across four stages, alongside 12,500 SF of office space, 19,000 SF of mill shops, 9,000 SF of flex space, and 500+ parking spaces, plus an 11,000 SF annex support facility at 3208 Pennington Drive. Stages 3 & 4, opened November 2024 after a $20M+ investment, feature Silent Air HVAC systems with 60-second air recirculation, 2,400 amps of dedicated power per stage, 500,000 lbs of suspended live load capacity, 12-inch thick soundproof concrete walls, and 45-foot grid heights — North Carolina's first purpose-built studio in over 40 years.
The company generates revenue primarily through rental of sound stages and production support services to film, television, streaming, and digital content productions. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to stage size, duration, and production requirements; no public pricing is disclosed. Customer segments include major studios and streaming platforms (Paramount, Showtime, Netflix, Amazon, Hallmark), independent feature film productions, and large-scale digital content creators such as MrBeast, who produced 'Beast Games' on the new Stages 3 & 4. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales — the CEO conducts direct outreach to film industry executives in Los Angeles — supplemented by relationships through the Wilmington Regional Film Commission.
The business is differentiated by capital-intensive physical infrastructure, exclusive on-site equipment partnerships with Cinelease (lighting and grip) and Herc Entertainment Services (aerial, power, climate control), access to North Carolina's 25% state film rebate, proximity to the Wilmington International Airport, and an integrated production support ecosystem. No venture capital or institutional investment is disclosed; expansion has been financed via Southern Bank. Dark Horse Stages is not a technology company — its competitive position derives entirely from physical asset quality, location economics, and relationship-based enterprise sales rather than software, data, or AI capabilities.
Dark Horse Stages firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dark Horse Stages
- Legal name
- Dark Horse Stages, Inc.
- Website
- https://darkhorsestages.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dark Horse Stages operates a purpose-built 82,500 SF film and television production studio facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, renting sound stages and production support services to major studios, streamers, and digital content creators including Paramount, Netflix, Amazon, Hallmark, and MrBeast.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dark Horse Stages industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Production Facilities
- akta.pro primary industry
- Soundstage & Stage Rental (Film/TV) (MPADAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Production Office Space & Support Facilities (MPADAIAD), Studio Campus / Production Facility Operators (MPADAIAC)
Keywords
Where Dark Horse Stages is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Dark Horse Stages business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Sound Stage Rental: Rental of professional sound stages for film, television, and digital content productions. The studio offers multiple stage sizes including purpose-built facilities with advanced technical infrastructure to accommodate a range of production scales.
- Production Support Services: Office space, mill shops, flex space, and storage facilities for productions. The annex provides additional off-site support including office, flex, and mill shop space for pre-production, production, and post-production needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom rental packages based on production requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Dark Horse Stages product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dark Horse Stages rents purpose-built sound stages and production support facilities to film, television, streaming, and digital content productions. The main Wilmington, NC campus offers 82,500+ SF of sound stage space (Stages 1–4) plus office space, mill shops, flex space, and 500+ parking spaces. The off-site Annex Studio provides an additional 11,000 SF of office, flex, and mill shop space with base camp parking. The company also facilitates on-site equipment rentals through partner vendors.
Product overview
Dark Horse Stages operates a multi-location film production studio facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. The portfolio consists of two main locations: the Main Studio campus (301 Harley Road) housing Stages 1-4 totaling over 82,000 SF of purpose-built sound stage space, and the Annex Studio (3208 Pennington Drive) providing 11,000 SF of off-site production support including office, flex, and mill shop space. The facilities offer comprehensive production services including on-site equipment rentals through partner vendors (Cinelease, Herc Entertainment Services, Bulldog Lighting, OnPoint Rigging). Stages 3 & 4 represent the latest expansion, opened November 2024, featuring state-of-the-art construction with advanced HVAC, high power capacity, and professional-grade acoustics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Main Studio (Stages 1 & 2) The original sound stages at the main campus featuring 42,500 SF of total stage space. Stage 1 has a 29-foot grid height and Stage 2 has a 22-foot grid height. The main campus also includes 12,500 SF of office space, 19,000 SF of mill shops with oversized doors, 9,000 SF of flex space, and 500+ parking spaces, with gated and keyless-entry security. Designed for film, television, and streaming productions.
- Stages 3 & 4 New state-of-the-art sound stages opened November 2024, each spanning 20,000 SF with 55-foot overall height and 45-foot grid height. Features include 12-inch thick concrete walls, soundproof roof, 2400 amps of dedicated power per stage, 500,000 lbs suspended live load capacity, and the Silent Air HVAC system that can recirculate or evacuate air within 60 seconds. Built for feature films, high-end television, streaming originals, and large-scale digital productions.
- Annex Studio Off-site production support facility at 3208 Pennington Drive providing 11,000 SF of premium support space, including 7,300 SF of office space, 3,700 SF of flex space, a mill shop, and base camp parking for large vehicles. Located 10 minutes from the main campus and 5 minutes from Wilmington International Airport. Functions as a base camp for productions with parking that keeps set access clear for cast and crew.
- Equipment Rentals On-site equipment rental services provided through partner vendors, including Cinelease (lighting and grip), Herc Entertainment Services (aerial equipment, material handling forklifts, power and distribution, climate control), Bulldog Lighting and Events (lighting and grip), and OnPoint Rigging and Staging (rigging solutions). Allows productions to source lighting, grip, rigging, power distribution, and aerial equipment directly at the studio.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2021 was most prosperous year for NC film industry with estimated $416 million direct in-state spend
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dark Horse Stages
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dark Horse Stages technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Dark Horse Stages partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- Coalition for American Production (CAP)supportingNational group representing small businesses supported by the film industry, pushing for federal film incentive. Kirk Englebright serves as North Carolina representative, advocating for federal support to bring productions back to US.
- CineleasecoreExclusive partnership with Cinelease, the industry's leading provider of lighting, grip, and studio infrastructure solutions. Cinelease provides filmmakers access to best-in-quality lighting and grip equipment through an exclusive partnership with Dark Horse Stages. Founded in 1977, Cinelease supports thousands of film, television, and commercial shoots annually.
- Herc Entertainment ServicescoreOn-site partnership with Herc Entertainment Services, a division of Fortune 1000 company Herc Rentals, providing unique aerial equipment, material handling forklifts, set equipment, power and distribution solutions, lighting & grip equipment, and climate control products for productions of any scale.
- Wilmington Chamber of CommercesupportingPartnership with the first and longest continually operating chamber of commerce in North Carolina with 154-year legacy. Connects over 900 member businesses representing 40,000+ employees in southeastern North Carolina.
- Wilmington Regional Film CommissioncoreDark Horse CEO Kirk Englebright serves as board member. The commission markets unique assets in southeastern NC to the production industry, connecting productions with locations, crew, and facilities including Dark Horse Stages.
- Linx IndustriessupportingFormerly Lindab USA, Linx manufactured and delivered the ventilation system for Stages 3 & 4 expansion. Provided approximately 700 linear feet of double-wall G90 galvanized steel spiral round duct with 2-inch thick insulation.
- Odyssey MechanicalsupportingMulti-trade subcontractor that contracted Linx for the studio expansion project. Completed the studio expansion mechanical work in southeastern North Carolina.
- Citadel ContractorssupportingGeneral contractor for the expansion construction project.
- Film Partnership of North CarolinasupportingNonprofit economic development organization providing crew support for productions. Collaboration at grand opening offered intern opportunities to explore film industry career paths.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Dark Horse Stages competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- East Coast Studios: Northeast US sound stage facility targeting feature and episodic productions. Regional peer with comparable purpose-built stage rental model and similar mid-Atlantic/East Coast incentive competition.
Broad incumbents
- Hudson Pacific Properties: Real estate operator with a portfolio of sound stages and office properties serving major studio and streaming tenants in LA, Vancouver, and the UK. Operates as a landlord/operator rather than an integrated studio company but competes directly for premium sound stage leases.
Direct peers
- Kaufman Astoria Studios: Long-established New York City sound stage facility serving film, television, and streaming productions with comparable stage specs and full production support services. Comparable target customers (streaming platforms, networks, feature producers) and similar business model of purpose-built stage rental.
- Great Point Media: UK-based studio operator and production financier developing purpose-built sound stage facilities for premium feature and episodic work. Comparable business model of purpose-built stage rental paired with production services, though primarily serving UK productions.
- Trilith Studios (formerly Pinewood Atlanta): Large purpose-built sound stage complex near Atlanta, GA that competes for the same major-studio and streaming productions Dark Horse targets. Comparable premium specifications (large grids, high power, soundproof construction) and similar business model of stage rental plus production support make it the most relevant non-local direct peer.
- Tyler Perry Studios: Massive owned-and-operated studio campus in Atlanta offering sound stages, mill shops, and full production support on a single site. Operates on a vertically integrated model but rents stages to outside productions, making it a comparable facility operator serving the same enterprise studio customers.
- Sunset Studios (Hudson Pacific / Blackstone JV): Network of large-scale sound stage complexes across LA, Atlanta, and other metros purpose-built for major studio and streaming tenants. Operates premium rental stages with comparable specs (high grid heights, dedicated power, soundproofing) targeting the same enterprise customer base.
- Cinespace Studios: Multi-location sound stage operator with facilities in Toronto and Chicago offering premium stage rental and production support. Comparable business model and customer profile (major studios, streamers, independent productions) targeting episodic and feature work outside the traditional LA/NY hubs.
- EUE/Screen Gems Studios: Long-established Wilmington, NC studio complex also serving feature, television, and streaming productions out of the same regional incentive ecosystem. Most direct competitor given shared local crew base, same NC rebate, and identical customer segments including network and streaming majors.
- Manhattan Beach Studios: California-based purpose-built sound stage complex serving feature, television, and streaming productions. Comparable specifications (large grid heights, soundproofing, high power) and direct overlap in target customer segments including major studios and streaming platforms.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dark Horse Stages social profiles
Digital presenceDark Horse Stages financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dark Horse Stages leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Dark Horse Stages subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Dark Horse Stages funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dark Horse Stages M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dark Horse Stages
What does Dark Horse Stages do?
Dark Horse Stages rents purpose-built sound stages and production support facilities to film, television, streaming, and digital content productions. The main Wilmington, NC campus offers 82,500+ SF of sound stage space (Stages 1–4) plus office space, mill shops, flex space, and 500+ parking spaces. The off-site Annex Studio provides an additional 11,000 SF of office, flex, and mill shop space with base camp parking. The company also facilitates on-site equipment rentals through partner vendors.
Is Dark Horse Stages a public or private company?
Dark Horse Stages is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dark Horse Stages founded?
Dark Horse Stages was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dark Horse Stages based?
Dark Horse Stages is headquartered in Wilmington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dark Horse Stages make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sound Stage Rental is the primary driver. The others are production Support Services.
Who are Dark Horse Stages's main competitors?
East Coast Studios is listed as a regional player. Hudson Pacific Properties is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Kaufman Astoria Studios, Great Point Media, Trilith Studios (formerly Pinewood Atlanta), Tyler Perry Studios, Sunset Studios (Hudson Pacific / Blackstone JV), Cinespace Studios, EUE/Screen Gems Studios and Manhattan Beach Studios.
Does Dark Horse Stages have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dark Horse Stages.
What industry is Dark Horse Stages in?
Dark Horse Stages's product category is Film Production Facilities. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAIAA, Soundstage & Stage Rental (Film/TV), with a secondary code of MPADAIAD, Production Office Space & Support Facilities.