Photograph by Matt Walljasper
It’s time once again for another filming update! You’ve seen the signs, you’ve wondered what’s blocking the streets, and you’ve sworn there used to be a few more trees in front of the old Georgia Archives building. This month: Ant-Man sign info, your next YA trilogy-turned-movie obsession, and more.
One of the signs you’ll be seeing for the next couple of months, “Sheldrake” points to the next post-apocalyptic YA series, The 5th Wave. The film centers on Cassie Sullivan (Atlanta native Chloë Grace Moretz) trying to survive against waves of alien invasions that have previous included EMPs, Rods from God, modified Ebola, and mind-controlled humans. Filming began a few weeks ago, and already the production team has set up shop in a variety of metro Atlanta locations. Signs have been spotted near Atlantic Station and directing crew to nearby Ansley Park where a variety of neighborhood settings have been shot. Crews were also seen OTP near Berkeley Lake, and in late October, there was a basecamp set up in Little Five Points for filming at Candler Park. Look for additional The 5th Wave stars Maggie Siff, Liev Schreiber (who will also be shooting Deathless in town next month), and Ron Livingston for the next few months.
Last month, the next installment of the Marvel film universe, Ant-Man (Production code: Bigfoot), became the first film to be shot at the newly built Pinewood Studies near Peachtree City. We’re now starting to see location shoots, specifically at the old Georgia Archives building, which is standing in for the comic’s Pym Industries. You may have heard that the production’s gotten into a little bit of local trouble after it was reported that they removed some magnolia trees there. Despite the controversy, which had been okayed by the city as part of the filming permit process, production continues uninterrupted. For any upset former city arborists/ewoks/fans of trees: The Ant-Man production has replanted the magnolia trees at a new location, will plant new ones at Oakland Cemetery, and will restore trees to the front of the building when production wraps.
If you’ve stumbled upon a cornucopia of 120-year-old design, clothing, and technology, you have not activated Atlanta’s mysterious wormhole into the past or mistaken a MARTA station for a TARDIS, but instead found sets for Bolden! (Production code: Cornet). Since few substantiated details of Charles “Buddy” Bolden’s life are known, the film will be told in a mythical fashion. Most of what we do know about his life comes from the rich oral history surrounding Bolden. Crews have been spotted in Midtown as recently as this past weekend, Grant Park, and at the Goat Farm Arts Center.
“TVM” signs for Complications, a new TV series for USA Network, have been spotted along Marietta Street, downtown Douglasville, and in Kirkwood. Additional filming has taken place at St. Joseph Hospital. The show stars Jason O’Mara as John Ellison, a suburban ER doctor whose life is forever changed after intervening in a drive-by shooting and saving a boy’s life. The series focuses on Ellison’s decision to keep the kid safe from future attacks. Since this is a new show, we won’t know just how much more will be shot in town after the initial order finishes. If the show is a success, look for more “TVM” signs in the coming months.
We’ve also seen signs for SundanceTV’s The Red Road (RR2) season 2. The show was filming out in Conyers as well as near South Marietta Parkway and Powers Ferry Road. Vacation (Stretch 29), which we talked about last month, has been shooting near Georgia Tech and in other locations in nearby Midtown. Constantine (1159) continues to film a few scenes downtown and in Old Fourth Ward, Hindsight (20/20) was in Marietta square, and Red Band Society (Ocean) took a rare trip outside of the Woodruff Arts Center to shoot at No Más! Cantina in Castleberry Hill.
Going forward, you might spot signs for The Vampire Diaries (LOC) or The Originals (Bonanza) in Covington. Next month, The Ring 3 is going begin filming at East Mountain Studios near Conyers and The Nice Guys (Misty) will bring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe to town.
Lastly, Atlanta’s proud tradition of fake production signs is growing. Signs such as “Titanic 2: We Fixed It” and “Gone With the Wind 2: Mammy’s Revenge” were spotted in town last month. The perpetrator even announced the project on the Atlanta subreddit, but has since deleted the post. What we do know is that these signs are unrelated to the “Star Wars 7” and “Serenity 2” signs of the past; the Reddit post claimed the upcoming signs were the first in the artist’s series. Will we see more? We’re not sure, but as long as these ridiculous premises aren’t made into real films that will loudly remind everyone that they were “made in Georgia,” we’ll chuckle.
