Film crew puts a wrap on ‘Firestarter’

Filming on the Hamilton-shot Firestarter" has wrapped up.

Zac Efron, who stars in the remake of the 1984 film based on the 1980 Stephen King bestseller, tweeted July 16 that the movie was in the can.

That's a wrap on #firestarter movie! can't wait for you guys to see this," he wrote.

He posted a picture of himself with young actress, Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

Efron plays Andy McGee, the father of Charlie, a girl with pyrokinetic powers. Armstrong (who played Minnie May Barry in Anne with an E" (2017-2019) plays Charlie.

Father and daughter go on the run because a sinister government agency known as The Shop wants Charlie. Michael Greyeyes plays an assassin, John Rainbird.

The movie is one of the most commercial projects to film in the city, comparable to Hairspray (2007) and the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water" (2017).

Firestarter is one of many exciting projects to choose Hamilton for our fantastic locations and talented crew base," Ava van Heerden of the city manager's office said in a statement. Repeat business is a significant factor helping to grow our film industry, so it bodes well for Hamilton when a project like this has a positive experience filming here."

In May, the production shot at a plaza on Plains Road East in Aldershot. Efron posted a photo on Twitter from the shoot - a stuntman engulfed in flames.

The production was also at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area that month. Filming took place in the woods beside the rail trail.

In June, the production rolled cameras at a number of local sites. It shot at the former Princess Elizabeth School at Bowman Street and Whitney Avenue in west Hamilton. A sign placed over the front door of the school - now owned by the Hamilton Hebrew Academy - called it Lewiston Elementary.

The production filmed at a farm at Valens Road and Safari Road in Flamborough and then moved to Ancaster. It had a base camp set up at the Morgan Firestone Arena.

In mid-June, the movie filmed at Victoria Avenue North and Shaw Street in Hamilton.

In July, the production was at the new Aeon Bayfront Studio on Queen Street North.

The original movie starred Martin Sheen, George C. Scott and Lousie Fletcher. David Keith played Andy McGee and Drew Barrymore played Charlie.

According to producer Jason Blum, Stephen King liked the screenplay of the remake.

Stephen King was okay with it," Blum told MovieWeb in a story that ran last Saturday. He gave us our blessing and that gave me the confidence to think, Well, let's give this a shot.' So I hope he likes it. He liked the script, so hopefully he'll like the movie."

The Hurricane Katrina medical drama Five Days at Memorial" filmed at the former Hamilton Spectator building last week. The Frid Street landmark is now part of the McMaster Innovation Park.

The Apple TV Plus show stars Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones and Adepero Oduye. It chronicles the first five days at a New Orleans hospital at the height of the hurricane when medical staff made life and death decisions.

The production was set to shoot Friday at the parking garage at 28 York Blvd., across from the Hamilton City Centre. The show will be shooting interior and exterior shots.

Guillermo del Toro's horror anthology show for Netflix was shooting in Dundas last week. It had a huge base camp set up at the former Canadian Tire site and it looks like it shot at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, using the trail centre as a sheriff's office. The website Ronin says the director will direct and write some episodes and is working with people who worked on his upcoming movie Nightmare Alley."

Daniel Nolan is a freelance writer who writes about film for The Hamilton Spectator. He can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com