Vancouver’s film industry is flourishing
Vancouver’s film industry is flourishing. Attracted by lucrative tax incentives and a large pool of skilled workers, more and more high profile movies are coming north to film in Hollywood North.
Here’s a list of who’s filming in town right now. Keep your eyes open and you might catch a glimpse of one of these real-life Hollywood stars, right here in little ol’ Vancouver.
The X-Files
David Duchovny has been vilified for suggesting that Vancouver’s constant rain played a part in his decision to request The X-Files move production to LA. After this past month, we’re starting to kinda understand where he was coming from. Luckily, these productions are sticking it out.
Elegy
Director: Isabel Coixet
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Sir Ben Kingsley
A respected professor begins an affair with a student, only to have jealousy transform him into a blood-thirsty, multi-tentacled flying cyclops. Okay, we made that last part up - but with sex scenes featuring a 64-year old Kingsley, this might actually turn out to be a bit of a horror movie.
Juno
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera
A quirky young girl gets unexpectedly pregnant and must navigate through the turbulent waters a quirky pregnant teen should expect to face. Director is the son of Ghostbusters mastermind Ivan Reitman, but we would be very surprised to see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in this film. Which is too bad.
Normal
Director: Carl Bessai
Starring: Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers
The press for this up-coming drama suggests it is a tale of love, redemption, and bravery in the face of tragedy. Barring a climax with a swordfight between zombies, this sounds like a snoozer to us (but remember, we loved Battlefield Earth.)
Passengers
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson
A grief counselor works with the survivor of a plane crash. Safe bet to say this isn’t going to be a “rollicking comedy.”
Shred
Director: Tom Green
Starring: Tom Green, Ross Rebagliati
Gross out king Tom Green is set to direct this snowboarding pic. Outdoor scenes will be filmed at Big White, with other various studio and urban scenes here in Vancouver.
Stargate SG-1: The Ark of Truth
Director: Robert C. Cooper
Starring: Michael Shanks, Beau Bridges
This impossibly successful syndicated TV show (it’s been on the air for like 25 years or something) gets another big screen treatment. In it, the good guys go in that round thing (I assume it is the eponymous “stargate”) so they can track down an artificat that will defeat the Ori (not the baseball team in Baltimore).
They Wait
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Starring: Jamie King, Terry Chen
A couple moves back to North America after spending years in China. But instead of bringing bootleg DVDs and knock-off golf clubs like most people, they bring ghosts and evil spirits who possess their son.
Tin Man
Director: Nick Willing
Starring: ???
A new, trippy, sci-fi version of the old-tyme classic “The Wizard of Oz“. Who else is surprised they haven’t already done a remake of this? This time around, Dorothy’s trip to Oz will apparently run a bit longer, as this is scheduled to be released as a mini-series.
While She Was Out
Director: Susan Montford
Starring: Kim Basinger
A woman goes out for a nice walk in the woods and ends up fighting for her life as she is chased by murderous thugs. At first, we thought it said “murderous slugs“, and you can imagine how excited that got us.
