Lights … camera … Mel Gibson!
Camera crews likely will descend on the area within the next few days to film scenes for Edge of Darkness, crime thriller starring Gibson, according to Blaise J. Noto, a publicist for the production company, GK Films.
“We probably will be in the Northampton area by the end of the week,” Noto said today.
He cautioned that production here could be delayed by a number of factors, but the present plan calls for filming to start in the Northampton area soon.
Boston Casting Co. expects to call on 700 people to appear as extras in the Northampton shoot, according to Julie Arvendon, marketing director for the Boston-based firm.
Extras typically receive the call to show up on the movie set just two or three days before they are needed, Arvendon said.
Hundreds of people turned out for an open casting call at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Northampton on Aug. 9. Producers were looking for people to play doctors, nurses, lawyers, court officers, police and old hippies.
Citing the production company’s policy, Noto said he could not confirm what local spots will be used in Edge of Darkness. However, the Hampshire County Courthouse has been mentioned by court officials as a possible site and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has announced it will close Mount Sugarloaf State Park in Deerfield on Oct. 8-10 to accommodate filmmakers.
Crews are building a temporary structure that covers much of the observation tower at the top of the mountain and has changed the look of the mountain from the valley below.
Principal photography on Edge of Darkness began six weeks ago and should conclude by Thanksgiving Day, Noto said.
“Everything is terrific,” he said. “People have been wonderful.”
The movie has undergone a casting shakeup, with Ray Winstone of The Departed taking over a role vacated by Robert De Niro.
Based on a British television miniseries of the same name, Edge of Darkness tells the story of a Boston police officer, played by Gibson, who descends into a world of intrigue and government cover-ups after the murder of his daughter.
The movie will be directed by Martin Campbell, whose film credits include the James Bond blockbuster Casino Royale. Producer Graham King and writer William Monahan both won Academy Awards for their work on the Martin Scorsese movie The Departed last year.
Source: Mass Live