Tybee Island has played host to quite a few movies and tv shows as of late.
Tybee Island is the go-to beach spot for those in Savannah and has grown beyond a quaint beach town. Over the past few decades, Tybee has appealed to directors and production companies, and as a result, there have been several films and TV shows made there. Taking advantage of the beach and local shops on the Island, Tybee has become a picturesque place for stories to be told.
Easily the most famous film to have been made on Tybee Island is The Last Song. This film is an adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel and stars Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. The movie tells the story of a girl and her brother going to stay with their father for the summer and there she falls in love with a local boy and is also able to reconnect with her dad. Locations that were utilized for filming included Tybee beach, the Tybee Pier, North Beach Bar & Grill, Wormsloe Historic Site, and the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum. The filming of this movie was such a big deal, and so famous, locals and tourists alike seek out to view the locations seen in the movie.
In 2017, Baywatch was released and that too was filmed on Tybee Island.
This modern film version of the classic ’80s TV show starred Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson. It tells the story of the lifeguards in red bathing suits trying to solve a series of murders. The primary location used for filming on Tybee Island was the beach, specifically for the jet ski scene. This film, while not the most well-received, highlighted the beautiful beach Tybee Island has to offer.
In 2015, the most-famous sponge from under the sea came to Tybee for the live-action movie The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. While this film is half animated, filming still took place on the beach. One of the famous restaurants on the island, Fannie’s on the Beach, even made it into the movie. This restaurant is known for its pink aesthetic and its sign that reads “Eat at Fannies.” From the beach to the restaurants, you can see the beauty of Tybee throughout the second SpongeBob movie.
A recent film to come out of Tybee Island is The In Between, starring Joey King and Kyle Allen.
This movie tells the story of a girl who survived a car accident that killed her boyfriend. She deals with that grief, but feels his presence. He contacts her from the other side. While specific locations used are unclear, the filming utilized the river, beach, and local shop areas to tell this story. Featured on Netflix and Paramount+ this film gives audiences a glimpse into the coastal life of Tybee Island.
The most recent TV series to come out of Tybee is the Hulu series The Girl From Plainville.
This series depicts the true-life crimes and trial of Michelle Carter. Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter of her boyfriend. It was discovered she coerced him to commit suicide via text. The series stars Elle Fanning and debuted on the streaming service on March 29th, 2022. After filming throughout the city of Savannah for a bit, production moved to Tybee. They reproduced scenes using the beach and the Tybee Island Pier. This series is one of many stories that used our coastal beach town to tell real-life stories.
Tybee Island has gone beyond just being a small coastal beach town. It has become a filming mecca over the past few decades. From love stories, comedies, and real-life crime stories, Tybee Island has helped produce many famous tales, and these have helped highlight the beauty of our coast. More productions are sure to come and use the beach scenery and small-town feel of Tybee Island, and the stories those can tell are endless.
