LYNN — Vintage ’70s cars lined the north side of Mount Vernon Street on Friday as part of the set design for the upcoming film “The Collaboration,” which details the friendship between pop art legend Andy Warhol and Neo-Expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The film’s crew set up shop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the side of the building at 38 Exchange St. While filming on the street, the production stopped drivers intermittently at the nearby intersection. Lynn police officers directing traffic said they hadn’t experienced any issues throughout the shoot.
Actor Richie Dinkins plays a taxi driver and an extra in a club scene in the film.
“People were respectful,” said Dinkins. “Everything was beautiful. You can see the excitement in people’s eyes when they walk by. People like things that aren’t normal, especially when it’s beautiful things like filming and you’ve got superstars coming to Lynn. That’s how you expand the city and bring some more wealth and knowledge to it.”
Written by four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, “The Collaboration” had an early run as a play in London, inspiring both a screen adaptation and a Broadway debut. It stars Jeremy Pope, who is best known for his work on Broadway, and Paul Bettany, who plays J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Pope plays Basquiat and Bettany plays Warhol.
“There’s a lot of talent on this site, whether they are in front of the camera or behind the camera,” Dinkins said.
Lynn resident Dharna Cortés was walking her dog, Jacinta, on her way back from the post office when she saw a crowd assembled on Mount Vernon Street. At first, she thought it was the farmers’ market that takes place there on Thursdays, but then remembered it was Friday.
Upon further inspection, she saw the street looked more like Manhattan than usual. When she noticed Dinkins’ taxi was actually a Buick designed to look like a ’70s New York cab, she realized she had stumbled on set.
“I love the cars,” Cortés said. “I can see that they are drawn to the architecture here in Lynn. If you look up, you see really beautiful buildings. I get it. I think this is good for Lynn.”
Rachel Barber can be reached at [email protected].
