Release date nears for Wilmington-filmed country music series 'George & Tammy'

A mini-series shot in Wilmington about the short, tumultuous marriage of late country music superstars George Jones and Tammy Wynette will be released on the Paramount Network by the end of the year, according to an "exclusive first look" at the show in Vanity Fair magazine.

"George & Tammy," which stars Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain and Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon in the leading roles, still doesn't have a definitive release date. But it was the first indication that the show would stick to a 2022 release after the Spectrum Originals subscription service, on which "George & Tammy" was supposed to premiere, decided earlier this year to stop producing original programming.

Presumably, the series will also stream on Paramount+ when, or shortly after, the show premieres on the Paramount Network.

"About a year ago we were in music rehearsals, learning some of George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s biggest hits," Chastain wrote on Twitter. "Nerves were high, emotions were higher as we tried to channel these two country legends. A year has passed and we can finally start to share their story with you."

"George & Tammy" shot in the Wilmington area in late 2021 and early 2022, using such locations Legion Stadium and Thalian Hall. Some scenes were also shot in Nashville, including at the famed Ryman Auditorium.

And while most of the pictures released for the Vanity Fair exclusive are interiors and don't show the Wilmington area, when Chastain told Vanity Fair that singing in front of a theater full of extras was “the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” it's likely she felt those emotions on the main stage of Thalian Hall.

Both Chastain and Shannon, a musician who in addition to acting plays in the folk-rock act Corporal, did their own singing for "George & Tammy," both solo hits like Jones' "The Race Is On" and Wynette’s "Stand by Your Man," and such duets as "Golden Ring."

"George & Tammy also stars Walton Goggins, Kelly McCormack, Katy Mixon and Steve Zahn.

Based in part on a book, "The Three of Us," by the couple's only child, Georgette Jones, who came to Wilmington during shooting, "George & Tammy" has been in development for more than a decade. It was originally envisioned as a feature film, but later expanded into a series.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Release date nears for Wilmington-filmed country series George & Tammy