LYNN — Cameras began to roll Monday at the Armory on the Commons, as a crew for forthcoming HBO Max limited series “Julia” filmed its pilot episode.
The series, based in Cambridge, Mass. in the 1950s and 1960s, depicts the life of renowned chef Julia Child and includes her beloved television program, “The French Chef.”
Produced by North Center Production, this series stars two-time British Academy Television Awards-winner Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child.
The cast also includes Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, Bebe Neuwirth, Isabella Rossellini, Jefferson Mays, and David Hyde Pierce as Child’s husband, Paul.
The pilot was written by Daniel Goldfarb — a co-producer of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” — and directed by Charles McDougall — whose credits include “House of Cards” and “Desperate Housewives.”
A set featuring Child’s kitchen was set up inside of the Armory, and the parking lot at St. George Greek Orthodox Church was filled with antique cars, trailers, COVID-19 testing sites and tents for the crew.
Outside of the Armory, actors could be spotted in mid-century clothing — an antique WGBH truck even made an appearance. The “Julia” set also featured vintage WGBH labels and stickers, as the station produced “The French Chef” from 1963 to 1973.
Filming for “Julia” began in Worcester, Mass. in October of 2020; last week, the crew returned to the state to shoot scenes in Framingham. Additional scenes in the pilot episode were also filmed in Boston, Cambridge, Dedham, Lexington, Malden, Waltham and Woburn, according to an HBO Max spokeswoman.
The set is scheduled to remain in Lynn for five days before moving to other locations in Massachusetts.
The first season will have eight episodes, but the release date is not yet known.
