Spring and summer are just around the corner, and Hollywood North has called 'action' on a slate of TV and film productions. The healthy schedule is good news after the industry slowed dramatically due to the 2023 actors' and writers' strikes and a worldwide industry contraction.
As industry insiders told Postmedia News this spring, the TV and film production business in British Columbia, which in 2024 contributed $3.1 billion to the provincial economy and employed just over 42,000 full-time workers, is rebounding.
Here is a look at some of the Hollywood North productions filming in and around Vancouver this spring and summer:
Feature Films
Time Out
Starring Adam Sandler and Willem Dafoe, this Scott Cooper-directed remake of the 2001 French film L'Emploi du Temps tells the story of a man (Sandler) who creates a new life after losing his job. However, his dubious plan does not work out, and he ends up in major hot water. Since arriving in town to shoot this latest serious role, Sandler has been spotted playing pickup basketball at the downtown YMCA and taking selfies with fans in Hope. The Netflix psychological drama began filming March 31 and will wrap May 30.
White Elephant
Pop star Nick Jonas stars alongside Kathryn Newton, K.J. Apa, Madeleine Arthur, Josh Brener, Ashley Park, Alexandra Shipp, and Justice Smith in this horror film about a group of friends gathering for a holiday 'White Elephant' gift exchange party that turns from festive fun into a frightening survival game. The Eli Craig-directed movie started production March 30 and will finish May 1.
A Most Delightful Game
Set in the 1980s, this horror film focuses on a young woman's journey to uncover the truth behind her sister's tragic death. Directed by Boman Modine, the film stars Ruby Modine, Richard Harmon, and Karin Konoval. Production began April 8 and will continue until May 5.
Girl Who Fell From the Sky
This movie is based on the incredible true story of 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke, who, on Christmas Eve 1972, was the sole survivor of a plane explosion over the Amazon jungle. The film stars Joey King and shoots in Mexico and Kelowna from May 11 through June 2.
Sundowning
Written and directed by Ian McDonald, this horror story focuses on a young woman with gerontophobia (fear of aging) who takes a job at a hospice that, yes, has a really scary secret. The film is scheduled to shoot from April 8 to May 8.
TV Series/Movies
Phony, Season 1
Dubbed a comedic coming-of-age story, the Hulu series Phony follows Sonny (Sam Nivola), a high school kid who wakes up from a freak car accident thinking his mother, best friend, and the principal at his school, Ellen (Connie Britton), have been replaced by impostors. And you thought high school was tough for you. Filming on the show began March 20 and will continue until May 22.
Season 3 of the Gibsons-shot Fox/Global series Murder in a Small Town is one of the many TV and film productions running this spring and summer in B.C. The show, starring Kristin Kreuk and Rossif Sutherland, began shooting Feb. 20 and will continue through to June 9.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of everything shooting around the province, as it includes only productions registered with Creative B.C., the Director's Guild of Canada B.C., and the ACFC (Association of Canadian Film Crafts technical union) West.
