Philly shooting Done

Shooting of Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones concluded in the Philadelphia area on Saturday Dec. 15th. Production will resume in Jan. 2008 in New Zealand. This blog will keep you covered wit sources in New Zealand.

Here is a set report from the McDade Mall:

I actually got inside the mall tonight. Luckily my family has a few
connections in this town. Watched them film a scene with Susan Sarandon
and Saiorse Ronan in the diner. I managed to stay back at a respectful
distance and no one seemed to mind. I was able to watch the scene in a
couple of monitors behind some of the crew. And I can say that Susan
Sarandon walked right past me on her way to do the scene in a big brown coat and
a reddish brown hairdo. She still looks good.

The
actual scene was about 50 feet away from where I stood. I did see Peter
Jackson doing some directing from afar, and saw Sarandon getting her makeup
fixed in between each take. They must have done 10 or 12 takes of each
segment of the scene. I couldn't hear it so I don't know the lines.
And there had to be about 100 extras they kept filing in and out in an orderly
fashion. Peter Jackson does have an eye for every little detail.

The full inside of the mall looks incredible. Best it's
looked in years. It's going to look amazing on film. Couldn't bring
my camera in though.

Mark Wahlberg had to leave early
tonight, so no autographs tonight. Looks like last night was the time to
get him. I did catch a glimpse of him leaving in a big white
Escalade. Apparently he had to rush off to a charity event in town.

That's all to report. Big crowds of people outside the mall
each night. I'm guessing at least a hundred were still there when I left
at 8 still waiting for a glimpse of anyone. It's probably the most
exciting thing that's happened to this town ever.

Some more Royersford photos: http://jencapone.blogspot.com/2007/12/lovely-bones-2.html

Breaking News Today: Peter Jackson will produce 'The Hobbit' read more here: http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/12/18/so-peter-jackson-wont-direct-the-hobbit-after-all/


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Photos, McDade

Filming in the USA wraps tomorow and resumes in New Zealand in 2008.
Film at the McDade Mall and the stage is almost done.

Michael sent us these photos of the police cars in the movie:

Thank you to Sarah from The Reporter for e-mailing us this slideshow she put together fearturing the Royersford set: http://www.montgomerynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19104613&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187830&rfi=6

Thanks to JM for these photos from this weeks shooting at the McDade Mall:

This is a set report from Steve:

I was hanging outside the Mac Dade Mall tonight. I live close by. Mark
Wahlberg did come out and greet fans. He probably signed about a hundred
autographs if not more, and posed for pics with fans. Very acessible guy and
very cool. Got to get an autograph and shake hands with him. Here's a couple of
pics of him signing tonight.

Heard about Susan Sarandon sightings
yesterday. She did not greet the fans, but did wave to them from afar. Michael
Imperioli was also spotted last night leaving the mall and getting into a truck
to go back to his hotel.

You can't get too close to the mall to see
inside. Big screens are up in front of the center doors. But you could walk
around the parking lot. Security and police were there, but they weren't being
mean. I do also believe I got a glimpse of Peter Jackson from afar going back
into the mall. I threw in a few more pics of the mall and of a few extras
hanging outside in their 70's garb.

I have no pics of the inside of the
mall, but I did see it last week. It is amazing. It's going to look great on
film.

Ryan vs. Mark: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lovely_bones/news/1696683/

Malvern set is done with and McDade Filming

This is from IMDB.com:

They wrapped shooting in Malvern on Thursday and have already begun
restoring the houses back to 2007. I was at my sister's house (Queens Ave)
yesterday and there was scaffolding at 2 of the houses. I don't know if they
actually used the snow or not. The scenes I saw being filmed were of the Salmon
family - dad, daughters, son - driving down the road in their orange station
wagon. They were getting ready to shoot another scene at the Salmon house, but
they were shoveling and blowing all the snow off the front lawn. I saw someone
with a sprinkler, too, I guess trying to melt the snow. I didn't stick around
long enough to see which scene. On Tuesday, I was THIS CLOSE to meeting Mark
Wahlberg. I was about 20 feet away from him. He was waiting in his car for the
next scene and the driver turned around in the driveway right in front of us. He
did smile and wave at us, but I guess it was too cold for him to get out and say
hello (thought he'd be used to the cold, being from Boston and all!) The
security guard told me if I wanted him to stop and take a pic, I should bring
one of my kids down with me. SO, I returned after lunch with my son and neice -
bundled up in scarves, hats, mittens, boots, etc. We stood outside for about an
hour waiting. This girl comes onto the set dressed to the nines, high-heeled
boots, skirt, matching scarf and gloves - stands on the set in the cold for 5
minutes and then had the guts to just walk up to M's car to get a photo with
him. The PA walked her down there (someone she knew knows M's driver or
something like that). The security guard was so p.o.ed - he said if she had just
stayed up on the corner with us, Mark would have probably gotten out of the car
and we could have all gotten pics. I was ready to kill her!!!! Oh well. Story of
my life. While we were standing there b/t scenes, PJ walked by us about 5 feet
away. On his way back, he was facing us and he smiled and kind of gave us a head
nod. Pretty cool. I'm too wimpy to actually say anything or ask for anything, so
a smile was enough for me. My family thinks I'm crazy for "stalking" but I
wasn't really. When else will I ever have this kind of opportunity???? :)

Found this newspaper story about TLB: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19090079&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187830&rfi=6

This e-mail was in my box:

Little tidbit. I went out to lunch today and saw some of those yellow TLB
signs. I thought, what the heck I would follow them. Took me to a staging area,
from there I saw another sign that said "set" I followed that, went past another
sign that said crew parking. Tons of cars parked at a church. I continued to
follow to the filming location. Nothing really to see here. Only interesting
point is its a location that has never been discussed on your board, the IMDB
board or anywhere else. The township is Uwchlan, PA. I suspect they are filming
either a corn field scene here or maybe something at a farm house. There was a
big white tent set up, a catering truck and all the requisite rental trucks and
trailers. Cops wouldn't let me down the street. I did snap a few bad pics
through the windshield before I was turned around. They are at the intersection
of Eagle Hunt Road and Eagle Farms Road.
Cops stopping folks at ---------- Road and ---------- Blvd.Here is a link to a google map of where they are.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Uwchland,+Upper+Uwchlan,+PA&ie=UTF8&ll=40.086527,-75.659441&spn=0.003694,0.008948&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr&om=1

Also filming at the McDade Mall will be this Tuesday thru Thursday night.

Thank you for the tips and keep them coming.

btw... on http://thehappeningmovie.blogspot.com/ you can see the brand new teaser poster...

Royersford final day of shooting

Thank you everyone for sending in set report and photos keep 'em coming!

From http://mommyblahblahblog.blogspot.com/:

Long story short, I went over to the Lovely Bones filming again tonight,
with my accomplice L. After getting kicked out of one area by a grouchy rent a
cop (where there was NO security or even a barricade by the way) we ended up in
front of AnnaMarie's place with a large crowd of locals. They were about to
film, the crew and police were there insisting "NO PICTURES" so I put my camera
away. They were wetting down the street and had some 70s cars ready to be
filmed, one of them a police car. Then, out of nowhere Mark Wahlberg appeared in
front of the crowd. He said he wanted to say hello and thank the town for having
him or something like that. He even signed some autographs, and people on
balconies started snapping pictures, but no one on the ground dared to with a
flash because of security. Then when Mark walked away, people were walking
toward him for autographs I got out my phone, and took this crappy picture. A
security guard then got in my face, pointed at me and yelled really loud, "GO
HOME! GO HOME NOW!" So I got kicked off the set for this crappy picture. Mark
Wahlberg is a nice guy, much nicer than a cranky rent a cop.

Thanks to Lori from http://whiskershampden.blogspot.com/:

I stood out in the freezing cold on the edge of the set for over six hours
last night. What the hell is wrong with me????

But it was worth it!

Sorry these shots aren't better. He was moving fast, it was relatively
dark, people kept moving in front of my camera, and let's face it...I'm
definitely no professional photographer.The security men there were the surliest
I've ever encountered. As soon as he came walking up to us, they started
screeching, "Put your camera away NOW!" People were taking pictures, anyway.Mark
Wahlberg was way cool and so nice to the gawkers, as always. He signed about
thirty autographs but had to get back to the set. He kept apologizing to
everyone for not being able to stop and pose for pictures and for not
personalizing his autographs. He was only with us for about three minutes, then
he had to go back down to the next block where his scene was being filmed. They
must have done at least a dozen takes on this one scene where he gets hit by a
car. There was a padded mat on the street by the curb, and we watched him
pretend to walk into the path of a car and then tumble onto the ground over and
over again.

Big shout-out to Giovanni's at 5th and Main in Royersford--they carted out
a stack of piping-hot pizzas and fed all of the gawker holdouts around 1 a.m.
Yummy!

From http://www.holyembersofdreams.blogspot.com/:

I didn't capture any pics from last night's outing, but this morning the
intrepid Jenifer scoped out the
joint, dodged security guards, and grabbed the following shots of downtown
Royersford in all its Seventies-era glory.Of course, the "new" look wasn't much
of a stretch for this stretch of Main Street, and yet the mocked-up store fronts
were so convincing that for a moment Jenifer thought, "Hey, Royersford is really
coming along nicely," following in the footsteps of other local revitalization
efforts in Phoenixville and Spring City.Apart from the guards and a minimal
crew, the area was empty, and there were no signs of the actors or Messrs.
Jackson and Spielberg (rumored to be in town). The only items of note were a
fleet of period cars and the Paramount trailer. For more pics of the shoot,
check out Mommy Blah Blah
Blog and In My Head.

Thank you to J Sykes for this:

Got 2 feet from Mark Wahlberg tonight on the closed set. No pics allowed.
He gave out autographs though for a few of us. Talked to a set insider and they
said Royersford looks like a place you would want to leave, which is why it was
chosen. What a horrible view of this town!

Both of the pics attached will play major roles in the movie. The house and
the bus station.

Royersford Filming Coverage

Anyone know the rumor about Steven Spielberg being on set again true?

Here are some filming photos from http://whiskershampden.blogspot.com/:

I somehow managed to infiltrate the "backlot" of the set late this afternoon.
I guess I picked a good time to do it...everyone was on their lunch break! I
spent over two hours sitting on a wall in the parking lot of the Royersford
Police Station, looking out over a section of Main Street. They didn't do ANY
filming during my time there. Unbelievable, isn't it?! Two hours of set-up...can
you imagine? There were all kinds of huge light fixtures positioned throughout
the set, and several smoke/dry ice machines were pumping out steam onto Main
Street. Techs and assistants and extras and locals were milling around, chatting
and hoping to catch a glimpse of someone important.Truth be told, I actually got
bored after a while. After
watching the filming of The Happening a few months ago, I have decided that
moviemaking is an unbearably tedious process.By 6:30, I was positive that my ass
was frostbitten, so I headed home. I had no feeling in my feet or my fingers,
despite my gloves and heavy socks. Anyway, I didn't see any movie stars tonight,
but I did catch a few glimpses of Peter Jackson (not close enough for a
worthwhile photograph) and also a man who looked suspiciously like Steven
Spielberg. Hmmm...

Thanks to Jenn for this:

If you head over tomorrow, I highly suggest saying you're going to Lebow
furniture. The front windows have 70's furniture in them but they are open for
business, and their huge front windows are literally 15 feet from the action,
facing the house/bar/and bus stop, which are all being used for the movie. The
church at the corner of 4th and Church St. is housing the wardrobe, and I saw
actors coming from there too! The renta cops definitely let the coat get to
their head, but if you're innovative enough, it's not hard to get up close. You
can take great pics from the furniture store too! I said I was taking pics of
furniture to decide on...but..Peter Jackson was 10 feet from Lebow's front door.
If you make friends with a couple of residents on main street...you easily can
get front seats to the best show Rofo has to offer (at least this week).
Calhoun's is holding an invitation only event for residents and cast. Will any
cast actually show?

From IMDB.com:

yeeah this is seann who is ataylor though hahahha. but i was there today
watching from the top of the street for about 45 mins..then me and my friend
walked down and we then realize we were standing with all the extras..then we
walked onto set in a big group of extras and like 5 mins later a security guard
noticed we didnt look 70's at all and just told us to either go across the
street and watch or go back to the top. but they shot the scene were the young
girl is driving the car and peter jackson was in the back of the truck pulling
the car. they were strict about pictures being taken but i got some with my
sidekick so there not the best quality but here they are.

Here are some press stories on the filming:
http://www.pottsmerc.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily;jsessionid=zrqRHNnbywshzznRX2nD1w73nT5VSqnWkGZdPJGsnspLdFpYcJVQ!-1290892734?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FPTM%2FHome&r21.content=%2FPTM%2FHome%2FContentTab_Feature_1172998

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19068195&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187830&rfi=6

http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=250576

This two have video:

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=185793

http://ww2.wpvi.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?clipid1=1972554&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Movie+filming+in+Royersford&d1=98267&redirUrl=www.WPVI.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage

Release Date Announced and more!

http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=5364:

In addition, the DreamWorks adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel THE LOVELY
BONES, which is being directed by Peter Jackson, will bow on March 13 of the
same year. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Michael
Imperioli, among others, in a story about a murder victim who continues to
observe her family after her death. Like you do.

My buddy Rich at FilmBuffOnline has visited the set and took some snaps and a set report can be found with more photos at http://www.filmbuffonline.com/2007/11/lovely-bones-set-pictures.html:

Also from Rich of FilmBuffonline.com:

...there was no shooting on LOVELY BONES on Saturday because Peter Jackson
was at the Regal King of Prussia Cinema checking out the 1:45 showing of BEOWULF
in 3D and IMAX. He was sitting about six rows in front of me. (And me with the
camera/phone in the car!)

From IMDB.com:

Just found out today from my parents that they are filming some small
scenes in my hometown, Royersford (near Valley Forge and outside of Philly). I
was walking down the main street today and watched as they worked on
transforming some of the store fronts for the movie. Filming is set for November
28th so if anyone lives nearby, take a stroll into town and watch them
film.

LOTS OF UPDATES!

Here is a set report from goofenslaffer:

Last night, the area was ablaze with activity, this time on a side street
just south of the school. This country road has houses along it that date back
to the 1940s and 50s. There was a crew of at least 100, tons of equipment and
bright lights lit up the area once again. There were two Panaflex cameras ready,
one mounted on a motorized cart. Although I had my camera ready, there was no
place to pull off the road to observe the filming and security whisked me out of
there in a hurry, yelling "no pictures". Peter Jackson was there, preparing to
direct the cameras into position. As of late this afternoon, They are done!
Gone! Alas, this unique experience has come to an end. My only regret is that I
didn't take more pictures. I don't expect to see this kind of excitement in my
neighborhood for a long time to come. However, there is a good film to look
forward to this summer.

Also Philly.com has a story here is the link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/nabes/20071118_School_Notes_3.html

Thanks to Dana (again!) for the photos and set report:

I don't know if you want to use these photos, but I took them Friday
morning.Thursday night, Jackson and crew was filming at this house. I was
unableto get any pictures that night because security was so damned tight.This
is the house they were filming at. By yesterday afternoon, the crew was
completelygone from the township. The film crew has moved back to Malvern and
startedfilming again last night. They will be filming Monday, Tuesday &
Wednesday and the week after Thanksgiving.

BUZZ ROCK RADIO

Set Report, 70's Magazine

From Mark:

Hello,

I came across your blog, because the other day I saw these Hollywood
trailers in my town. Word traveled and I found out that they are doing some
filming for The Lovely Bones in a warehouse in my town Hatfield. I found an
article in the local newspaper, and they said that the set was closed. I just
wanted to know whether or not there would be any opportunity to catch any sort
of glimpse of some of the big names tied to this project. I mean, Steven
Spielberg in Hatfield, PA is probably the biggest thing in the history of the
town. I'm not trying to go around snooping, although I did drive past the set
and found that security was pretty lax. (deleted) But seriously, Steven
Spielberg and Mark Wahlberg. . . ten minutes down the street just completely
blows my mind.

Every week I will post a new 70's era JC Penny Catalogue item. Thanks to Debra for sending these to me!

Malvern/Paoli Set Photos

Thank you to the person who sent this to my inbox. This is from the Malvern set and some are from the VFW tailer parking area. In one picture, "Rachel Weisz (in a blue shirt) filming a scene on the porch". There are also photos of the night street and the crew blowing up a ballon with lights in it.

Ryan Gosling: Mark Wahlberg will be better in Lovely Bones than me

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Filming Recap

Filming location: Bryan Avenue in Malvern, Pa

Area newsradio station KYW 1060 has posted a artical on the filming location: http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/1117377.php?

This is from the inbox:

Hello,Great updates so far! I just wanted to let you know that the address you have listed is the pickup point for extras. The shooting location is closer to downtown Paoli.

I just went there today and they're taking up about 3 streets in that
neighborhood with trailers and shooting outdoor scenes without the actors for
now.

Cheers, Jeannette

This little guy is from Philly.com:

Is he paying city wage tax now?

Mark Wahlberg should buy a place here already. The actor, who just wrapped "The Happening" with M. Night Shyamalan, is returning to shoot Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones," based on Alice Sebold's book.

Variety reported yesterday that Wahlberg replaces Ryan Gosling as the father of a girl who is raped and murdered and looks down on her family from heaven.
A "Lovely Bones" spokeswoman cited the old "creative differences," as to why Gosling, currently in the excellent "Lars and the Real Girl," had been replaced.
Wahlberg has shot "Invincible," "Shooter" and "The Italian Job," here. His "Bones" co-stars include Rachel Weisz, Michael Imperioli, Stanley Tucci and Susan Sarandon. The movie shoots in Malvern this week and will film locally for about six weeks.

Thanks for the e-mail tips! If you have tips or photos e-mail them to buzzrockradio@yahoo.com

More to come tonite!

News and filming location

Here is the base camp for tomorrows filming:

PAOLI PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
225 S. VALLEY ROAD
PAOLI, PA 19301

- I have also heard the rumor that they are filming on Queen Ave in Malvern. But who knows.
- Peter Jackson, Susan Sarandon were seen in the Philly area over the past few weeks
-Mark Wahlberg is coming back after 2 weeks away from Philly to film his 4th recent movie to be shot in the Philly area. Here is the list:
1. Invincible
2. Shooter
3. The Happening (just finished 2 weeks ago)
4. The Lovely Bones

GOSLING EXITS FILM EARLY!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4247770a10.html

'Rings' director rolls into suburbs:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20071021_Inqlings___Rings_director_rolls_into_suburbs.html

More to come tomorrow.