Movie-making is hard work but a Hollywood production crew is exploring the North Okanagan.
Walt Disney Pictures’ Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, has been shooting in Enderby, Grindrod and Armstrong since Aug. 19.
“Everyone has been working like crazy but people have had time to get out and enjoy the area,” said Lee Anne Muldoon, the movie’s publicist.
However, while there have been reported sightings, Muldoon insists Clooney is not touring around.
“No, absolutely not,” she said.
Tomorrowland has a crew of about 300 people.
“The new Fairfield Inn in Vernon has rooms out for them and Fortune’s Landing in Enderby is full,” said John Trainor, Okanagan Film Commission chairperson.
“They have cleaned out Askew’s Foods of triple A steaks. There’s a lot of cash going back into the North Okanagan.”
Trainor was on the set for three hours last week.
“It’s very cool. There are two 100-foot booms up and we saw the shooting of a stuntman,” he said.
The $250 million budget production will be in the region until about mid-September.
“Everything is going per schedule including even the weather,” said Muldoon.
There have been no problems with local residents trying to interrupt the action.
“The public has been extremely respectful,” said Muldoon.
“They understand that we are running a closed set and we thank the people of the North Okanagan for giving us the room to work.”
Trainor is confident that Tomorrowland will translate into other big-budget movies coming to the region.
“They Tomorrowland (crew) are blown away by the incredible scenery. They will go and talk about it and the impact will snowball,” he said.
Tomorrowland will be released in theatres Dec. 12, 2014.
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*This video tour of Disney's Tomorrowland in their Magic Kingdom park (Orlando, Florida) might give some insight into what the movie will look like: