Hollywood returns to Lynn for fictional take on FBI sting

LYNN – You’d never know a movie with top-flight Hollywood actors was filming in downtown Lynn Friday.Julie Loukianov, an employee at Exchange Street grocer Kalinka, was one of a handful of people who stopped to watch stars Amy Adams and Christian Bale exit black SUVS and enter the basement of a law firm at 31 Exchange St.Loukianov said if she hadn’t received a flyer on Thursday giving notice of the production, she would have thought it was a construction project or a new business coming in.View a photo gallery”I wouldn’t have thought much of it,” she said. Gesturing to the lack of crowds, she added, “Maybe people don’t know about it and that’s why they aren’t here.”From its secretive arrival in Lynn, to crew members shielding the movie stars from prying eyes with black umbrellas, to staff with notebooks shooing away those who spent too much time on the Exchange Street sidewalk, it seemed clear the producers of the untitled movie wanted to keep it under wraps.The movie, directed by Oscar-winning director David O. Russell, is filming at various locations in Massachusetts for the next two months, said a spokesperson for White Dog Productions, who declined to give her name and whose company is involved in producing the film.She said the movie is inspired by a real-life 1970s FBI sting operation that eventually led to the conviction of six U.S. congressmen, among other public officials.But she stressed that the movie is fiction.”People think it’s a true story we’re doing, and it’s not,” she said. “It’s inspired by a sting operation, but it’s not Abscam,” she said, referring to the nickname for the infamous sting.During its first week of filming in Massachusetts, the crew spent much of Friday afternoon on Exchange Street, which the spokeswoman said was chosen because of its architecture. More filming was to take place Friday night along the Lynnway.The movie also stars Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K. and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, the spokeswoman said.A movie of that caliber filming in Lynn says a lot of positive things about the city, said Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, who toured the set before filming began Friday.”To have quality people with a quality director coming in to make a movie, it’s hopefully going to show Lynn in a good light,” she said.View more photos of celebrities on the North ShoreKennedy said she doesn’t require film crews to apply for a permit before working in Lynn, which could have been a factor in the film’s location.Movie officials paid a few hundred dollars for labor costs to hang no parking signs as they blocked off parking on Mount Vernon Street and some of Exchange Street on Friday, Kennedy said. They also hired Lynn Police offers for details.Jennifer Ashworth, the building manager for LynnArts, said for the most part, people who at first were put off by the parking ban were excited about the activity after she explained what was going on. Ashworth said for those who were less enthused, “They need to get over themselves. It’s great for downtown Lynn to be featured in a Hollywood movie. “Kennedy hoped crew members will visit local restaurants for lunch.”It does bring a little boost to businesses as well,” she said.Though a set steeped in secrecy may have made things run more smoothly for cast and crew, those looking for celebrity sightings were disappointed. As Adams and Bale arrived in ’70’s era costumes around 1 p.m. on Friday, production assistants scurried to surround them with black umbrellas and escort them from the car to the building.To Lynn resident Christine Marston, who made up a sparse crowd with Loukianov and one other on the corner of Mt. Vernon and Exchange streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the actor, the secrecy was a killjoy.”It’s crazy they are using umbrellas,” she said. ” It’s not like there are 100 people out here. They should let us live a little!”Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected] Parcher can be reached at [email protected].