There will be more lights, cameras and action in Colwood, thanks to another film shoot at Hatley Castle. The iconic castle, former home of the Dunsmuir family, has drawn moviemakers for decades, dating back to The Changeling in 1980, a horror movie that featured George C. Scott. More recent notable movies filmed in and around the castle include offerings from the popular X Men series.
Colwood council approved a variance in the noise bylaw at the regular meeting of council on March 9 to accommodate two days of filming at the castle on March 28 and 29.
The Boy, an STX and Lakeshore Entertainment production centres on a young woman, played by Walking Dead actor Lauren Cohan, who takes a position as nanny for a wealthy couple’s son in a remote village in England to escape a troubled past. Much to her dismay, she discovers that the son of the older couple who hired her has passed away, and she is tasked with taking care of a lifelike porcelain doll they treat as their child.
Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton said that other than requests for lighting or noise amendments when required, many local shoots fly under the radar to minimize disruption from curious onlookers.
They do create a positive economic impact, however, because the crew and cast have to eat and often have to use local services during production.
Another benefit is that they help spread the word about the location opportunities the West Shore offers, and that can have a ripple effect on the number of tourists and visitors coming to Colwood.
“Royal Roads University brings in foreign students for short-term programs, and they get excited when they hear a popular movie was filmed there and they bring that buzz back home,” she said.
Other familiar names in the cast include Jim Norton (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Diana Hardcastle, (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) Ben Robson, (Vikings) Rupert Evans (Hellboy) and James Russell (Blue Bloods).
William Brent Bell, (The Devil Inside) is directing the movie, while producers are Tom Rosenburg, Gary Lucchessi, Roy Lee, Matt Berenson and Jim Wedaa.
Release is scheduled for Jan. 22 2016.
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