The most fascinating thing when I first saw the Marvel movie Black Panther in 2018 was Wakanda.

It looked like such a country could be hidden somewhere in Africa. There are mountains, grasslands, a royal palace, and even advanced flying ships.

However, much of this Wakanda was actually created not in Africa, but in Georgia, USA.

The main filming location for the movie was at Pinewood Atlanta Studios.

Now known as Trilith Studios, it is a large film production complex. However, it is located not in downtown Atlanta or Douglasville, but south of Atlanta in Fayetteville.

Here, massive sets were built to film the interior of the Wakandan palace, research facilities, and various battle scenes.

Many of the scenes that made us wonder, "Where did they find such a place in Africa?" were actually created in Georgia with the help of sets and CGI. This shows how effectively the film can deceive the audience's eyes.

The director was Ryan Coogler, and the lead character T'Challa was played by the late Chadwick Boseman.

Joining them were Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and others.

In particular, the character Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, was not just a simple "bad guy" character.

The audience could somewhat understand why he was so angry, leaving them with something to think about even after the movie ended.

The box office success was phenomenal.

It surpassed $700 million in North America alone, and the worldwide box office gross exceeded $1.3 billion.

What's even more surprising is that it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, which is rare for a superhero film.

At the 2019 Academy Awards, it won three categories: Costume Design, Production Design, and Original Score.

The reason Black Panther was special was not just because it made a lot of money.

It brought Afro-futurism, a blend of African traditional culture and future technology, into mainstream cinema.

It vividly imagined, "What if an African nation developed an incredible technological civilization without colonial rule?"

And that massive imaginative factory was right in Georgia.

Georgia's growth in the film industry was also significantly aided by tax incentives. In 2008, the tax credit system for film and TV production was strengthened, leading production companies to flock there. Not only Black Panther but also the Avengers series and various Marvel projects were produced in Georgia.

So nowadays, when you think of Atlanta, you might think of Coca-Cola and CNN, or a major Southern city, but the story changes when viewed from the film industry perspective.

Crossing a street and opening a warehouse-like studio door reveals a universe, superheroes, and the strongest fictional African nation, Wakanda.

That movie that shouted Wakanda Forever was actually backed by Georgia working hard behind the scenes.