"Are You There God? It's Me Margaret" Was Filmed In And Around Charlotte

North Carolinians should pay extra close attention when watching Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret this spring. In case you weren’t excited enough already, the star-studded film adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic book was primarily filmed in the Tar Heel State. 

The movie about a sixth grader who prays for help as she navigates puberty stars Rachel McAdams as Barbara, the well-meaning mom to title character Margaret, and Kathy Bates as Margaret’s cherished grandmother, Sylvia. More than 50 years after it was published, Blume’s seminal book is considered required reading for young girls to this day. 

Although the novel was primarily set in suburban New Jersey, much of the movie was actually filmed in and around Charlotte—particularly in downtown Monroe and Concord—during the spring and summer of 2021. The mid-century modern homes in leafy Foxcroft reportedly had just the right look to bring the Simon family’s 1960s neighborhood to life, while The McCelvey Center just over the state line in York, South Carolina, served as Margaret’s school.

"This is awesome for our city," Pete Hovanec, Monroe Tourism Director, told WCNC Charlotte back in 2021. "Organized chaos. Everybody knows what they're supposed to be doing. This is one day, so everything you see here filming around us, they're just filming one day."

We can’t wait to see one of our favorite cities transformed for the big screen when Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret debuts in theaters on April 28, 2023.