LYNN — It was lights, camera, action, Wednesday afternoon as a film crew took over Ocean Street to shoot one of the first projects in Lynn since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the coming month, several additional film projects are slated to shoot in Lynn, marking the return of Hollywood to the region.
The Ocean Street piece was a small-scale commercial shot over the course of two days on behalf of the Freemasons. Among scenes shot was a clip that depicted a Good Samaritan stopping to assist a veteran.
While the project included a crew of about 20, it was COVID-conscious. Mask protocols were in place and strictly enforced. Each new production requires a COVID-19 compliance officer on set in order to limit the project’s footprint and its contact with the public.
The scale of the commercial will be dwarfed by a feature length Miramax film “Mother/Android,” set to be shot in Lynn Woods next week.
The “Mother/Android” crew has already begun preparations for the shoot, creating a base camp by the entrance to the woods on Pennybrook Road.
This sci-fi thriller, starring Chloe Grace Moretz and directed by Mattson Tomlin, depicts the plight of a young pregnant woman on a journey to escape her country in the midst of an android invasion. Moretz’s previous credits include Martin Scorcese’s “Hugo,” Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” and the 2013 horror film “Carrie.”
This project marks Mattson Tomlin’s directorial debut. Tomlin, who also wrote the piece, envisioned the project as an homage to his parents, who struggled to save their child during the Romanian Revolution.
“‘Mother/Android’ is a deeply personal story inspired by sacrifices made to bring me into this world,” Tomlin told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m thrilled to be working with Miramax and my friend Matt Reeves to tell a story that speaks to the strength of humanity in the darkest of times.”
Before COVID-19, the North Shore had become a hub for filmmakers, with several high profile projects shooting in the area, including the Adam Sandler film “Hubie Halloween,” the Steven King-inspired TV series produced by J.J. Abrams “Castle Rock” and the Mark Walberg flick “Spenser Confidential.”
With the film industry reopening, Lynn can get back to drawing major Hollywood projects to the region.
“It’s exciting to have cameras back,” said Ted Karonis, whose house was used for the Ocean Street project. “There’s a little Hollywood in all of us.”
Guthrie Scrimgeour can be reached at [email protected].
