Zookeeper on the Common!!

Snapped two days ago in Boston Common are these pics from the upcoming Adam Sandler comedy The Zookeeper! Kevin James and Joe Rogan can be seen here filming a chase scene.









You'll see James followed by Rogan up Park Street toward the Massachusetts State House.









And then around the corner in front of the Robert Gould Shaw "Glory" Memorial.





A big thanks to Kevin Wiles for these awesome pictures!!




If anyone else would like to share some filming pictures with us, please send them to daspro@bostonmovietours.net.

Kevin James' 'The Zookeeper' filming at Franklin Park Zoo

Kevin James has been a busy man here in Massachusetts with the filming of both Grown-Ups and The Zookeeper, which just started this week at the Franklin Park Zoo.

As we said earlier, the movie is about a lonely zoo keeper (Kevin James) who tries to win over the girl of his dreams (Rosario Dawson). The animals decide to break their code of silence in order to help him gain her attention. James' friend and Grown-Ups costar Adam Sandler, will be the voice of a capuchin monkey. The rest of the cast will be filled out with Cher playing a giraffe, Jon Favreau playing a bear, Sylvester Stallone playing a lion, and Judd Apatow playing an elephant.

According to Loaded Gun Boston MGM has erected an elaborate mini-zoo set near the Giraffe Entrance. Filming will take place during regular park hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next few weeks.

The Boston Globe says that the zoo received a “substantial’ location fee for their troubles. The zoo is in jeopardy of closing and even euthanizing the animals with Governor Deval Patrick's imposed budget cuts, so any new revenue for the zoo is much needed.

If you have any tips, let me know at npistorino@bostonmovietours.net.

'Paul Blart 2' is actually 'The Zookeeper'

We reported earlier that Kevin James was looking to film Paul Blart 2 here, but it turns out they are looking to shoot another movie all together called Zookeeper.

The movie is about a lonely zoo keeper (Kevin James) who tries to win over the girl of his dreams (Rosario Dawson). The animals decide to break their code of silence in order to help him gain her attention. Most of the filming will take place at Franklin Zoo in October.

According to the Boston Herald, James' friend Adam Sandler, who are both shooting Grown Ups a Woodman's in Essex this week, will be the voice of a capuchin monkey. The rest of the cast will be filled out with Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Jon Favreau and Judd Apatow. Cher will be a giraffe, Favreau will lend his voice to a bear, Stallone is a lion and Apatow is an elephant.

Adam Sandler's Grown Ups Filming at Woodman's this Week

Due to the unseasonal rain we've been getting, Adam Sandler's Grown Ups had to move filming to Woodman's of Essex all this week -- two months ahead of schedule. Those of you familiar with Woodman's will know that it's the best place on earth to get fried clams, and they are also the inventors of the seafood treat.

Woodman's website reveals that this is the first time in 95 years that they have ever closed their doors. A message on the site explains, "The torrential rain predicted for the next few days has caused many people, including Hollywood, to do some last minute rescheduling. Woodman's of Essex was contacted early this morning and asked by producers if they could start setting the stage tonight. Originally the restaurant had planned to close their doors in early August.

"They needed a spot to do some indoor shooting in order to stay on schedule. It was short notice for sure and we've been scrambling all morning," Maureen Woodman explained. "But we figure it is better to close on three rainy days in June than three nice days in August even if we don't have much lead time."

If you have any tips, pictures, or information about the shooting, feel free to shoot me an email at npistorino@bostonmovietours.net

Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups" Moves to Essex

After spending an extra day in Southborough, Adam Sandler's upcoming movie The Grown Ups will be moving to Essex, Ma this week. Since the last time we reported, they have changed the name of the movie, which used to be named "The Lake House."

The film also stars Kevin James, David Spade, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Rob Schneider, Selma Hayek, and Maria Bello from the other movie filming in MA, The Company Men. As previously mentioned the movie is a comedy about a group of friends who come back to their home town for a Fourth of July weekend.

There have already been sightings of Adam Sandler and Selma Hayek in the North Shore. SNL Alums Norm MacDonald and Colin Quinn (cowriter of Boston movie Celtic Pride) being seen around town shooting pool also have cameos in the movie.

The majority of the film will be shot at a lake house in Essex, MA. The Good Morning Gloucester Blog has pictures of the locations that will be in use for most of the filming. You can also see photos taken on set by Pop Sugar. Between Maya Rudolph, Adam Sandler, and Selma Hayek, there are a lot of kids running around on that set. If you want to get insider accounts on set, follow David Spade's Twitter which he updates daily.

If you have any tips, pictures, or information about the shooting, feel free to shoot me an email at npistorino@bostonmovietours.net

Update: Lake House is set to shoot

The Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider film The Lake House is set to film primarily in Essex in the next few months or so. Maria Bello, who recently filmed scenes in the South End with Tommy Lee Jones for the Company Men has just signed on to play Kevin James' wife. Bello has not acted in one scene filmed in Massachusetts prior to this year and now she is acting in two movies being filmed here back-to-back!

We have heard that there is already some activity in Essex. A source tells us that crews are prepping around Chebacco Lake and are looking into other sites to shoot various scenes (thanks Ed). According to the Loaded Gun they plan to shoot a scene at the upscale Japanese-fusion restaurant, O Ya, located at 9 East Street in Boston's Leather District. The 66 day shoot will start sometime in May.

As previously mentioned the movie is a comedy about a group of friends who come back to their home town for a Fourth of July weekend. Even though Adam Sandler movies have gone out of style recently, I'm hoping for a big comeback with the Lake House.

Adam Sandler and Kevin James return!

Adam Sandler and Kevin James are getting busy here in Boston as of late. They have two movie projects are in the works. After the unexpected success of their low-budget comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, they have quickly started to scout locations for the sequel.

Kevin James would reprise his role as the mall security guard, but he gets fired from his mall position and gets a job at the Franklin Zoo. According to the Boston Herald Ernie Boch Jr.'s Ferrari dealership is being scouted as a possible location for the film.

Before Paul Blart 2 gets under way, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider are going to be shooting a movie in Essex this May currently titled "The Lake House." It's supposed to be a comedy about a group of friends who come back to their home town for a Fourth of July weekend. With the amount of talent signed on, it should be good.

As always if you have any tips, email me at npistorino@bostonmovietours.net.

Filming in Boston

Hollywood has hit the Hub. Here is what is filming in Boston.

Shooting in 2008

Ashecliffe: Based on the book Shutter Island by local author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone), Ashecliffe follows the story of two United States Marshals who investigate a mental patient’s disappearance on a Boston area island. They uncover that nothing is quite what it seems on this mysterious island.

- Starring: Directed by Martin Scorcese: Mark Ruffalo, Sir Ben Kingsley and Leonardo DiCaprio
- Filming: East Boston, Taunton, Medfield, Nahant Beach, Hyde Park and Boston Harbor Islands (Peddocks Island), North End
- Status: Filming completed (March-July 08); for release in 2009

Bride Wars: Best friends become rivals when they schedule their respective weddings on the same day.

- Starring: Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway
- Filming: South Station, Public Gardens, Suite nightclub and Back Bay
- Status: In Post Production as of July 2008; for release in 2009

Edge of Darkness: A police officer investigates the death of his activist daughter.
-Starring: Mel Gibson
-Filming: South Boston
-Status: Filming as of 09/09/08

The Fallen: A true-life story of a Boston Fire Fighter whose life is turned upside down after a devastating injury leaves him with a severe drug addiction.

- Starring: TBD
- Filming: TBD
- Status: Filming soon


Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past: The romantic comedy is about a bachelor who attends his younger brother’s wedding and is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends.

- Starring: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner
- Filming: South Street, Wellesley, Ipswitch, Chelsea, and Hingham
- Status: Post production as of July 2008; for release in 2009
- Tidbit: Ben Affleck was originally slated to play in McConaughey's role

Paul Blart: Mall Cop: Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a comedy about a security guard who tries to stop a group of crooks who are taking over a mall.

- Starring: Executive Producer Adam Sandler; Kevin James
- Filming: Boston Harbor Islands, Burlington Mall, Hanscom Fields, Centre Street in West Roxbury, South Shore Plaza
- Status: Post Production as of July 2008; for release in January 2009

The Proposal: A pushy boss marries her young assistant in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.

- Starring: Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock
- Filming: Financial district, Rockport area, Salem
- Status: Post production as of July 2008
- Tidbit: While in Massachusetts, Bullock got in car accident but was not hurt.

The Surrogates: The Disney a sci-fi thriller story is set in the near future where humans interact with one another through surrogate robots.

- Starring: Bruce Willis
- Filming: Seaport District, Old Worcester Courthouse, Worcester, MA, Back Bay
- Status: Completed Filming as of August 2008

This Side of the Truth: A comedy about a town where no one has ever lied - until a writer decides to give it a shot for his own personal gain.

- Starring: Written/Directed by Ricky Gervais: Tina Fey, Jennifer Gardner, Christopher Guest, Jason Bateman (rumored) Rob Lowe
- Filming: Lowell, MA
- Status: Completed filming as of September 2008;

Filmed in 2007

21: Based on Ben Mezrich’s bestseller, Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, 21 shows how some MIT students beat Vegas.

- Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth
- Filming: South Street Diner, Boston Convention Center, Harvard Medical Center, Copley Mall, Boston University
- Status: on DVD

The Box: This thriller/horror focuses on the the story of a mysterious wooden box that brings both fortune and misfortune into the lives of a couple after being opened.

- Starring: Cameron Diaz and James Marsden
- Filming: South Boston, Boston Public Library, Ipswitch
- Status: Post production for release in late 2008

My Best Friend's Girl: Comedy about a guy who men hire to take their ex-girlfriends on bad dates so they crawl back to their boyfriends.

- Starring: Dane Cook and Kate Hudson
- Filming: Castle in the South End, Boston Common, South Street Church, Copley Square
- Status: Post production for release September 19, 2008

The Great Debaters: A 1930s African American debate team takes on Harvard and wins.

- Starring: Dane Cook and Kate Hudson
- Filming: Acorn Street in Beacon Hill, Wang Center
- Status: Released in theaters December 2007
- Tidbit: Wang Center doubles as a train station

The Lonely Maiden: The comedy centers on three museum security guards who devise a plan to steal back the artworks to which they have become attached after they are transferred to another museum.

- Starring: Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy and Christopher Walken
- Filming: Public Garden
- Status: Post production for release in late 2008

On Broadway: A playwright stages a production of his work in the back of an Irish pub.

- Starring: Joseph McIntyre, Eliza Dushku and Will Arnett
- Filming: Dorchester, Waltham, Boston Public Library
- Status: Awaiting distribution

Pink Panther 2: Insp. Jacques Clouseau teams up with a squad of International detectives who are just as bumbling as he is.

- Starring: Steve Martin and Andy Garcia
- Filming: Chelsea, Wang Theatre, Financial District
- Status: Post production for release in 2009
- Tidbit: Boston doubles as France

Real Men Cry: The story follows two childhood friends as they go through life surviving through petty robbery and other crimes in South Boston.

- Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet and Donnie Wahlberg
- Filming: South Boston
- Status: Post production for release in 2008

The Women: A wealthy New Yorker leaves her cheating husband and bonds with other society women at a resort.

- Starring: Annette Bening, Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes, Debra Messing
- Filming: South End, Back Bay, Newbury Street, Boston Public Library
- Status: In Theaters
- Tidbit: Boston doubles as New York. Rumored not to have a single man in the cast.

Information compiled from various sources including IMDB.com, the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe.

Boston Schmoozing Tours!

Over the past couple weekends, Boston Movie Tour employees Stephanie Costello (me!) and Nicole Mayne have had quite a few brushes with fame. Between Paul Blart: Mall Cop wrap parties and being in the right place at the right time, we were able to meet some pretty cool people! Check it out!

From Left to Right, John Anderson (Beach Boys crew), Stephanie Costello, Nicole Mayne, John Cowsill (Beach Boys drummer, former member of The Cowsills), half of John Bracken (Beach Boys soun mixer)

John Anderson and Stephanie Costello

Nicole Mayne and Kevin James

Erick Avari of Heroes, Mr. Deeds, the West Wing and The Mummy (among many others) and Paul Blart: Mall Cop extra and BMT friend Eric Ryan

Mall Cop at the Burlington Mall

For the past several weeks, the Burlington Mall has regressed a few months and has re-decorated for the Christmas season. No, they aren't trying to boost sales.....the mall is actually the set for funny men Kevin James and producer Adam Sandler on their new movie, Mall Cop. The movie has also been filming on Centre Street in West Roxbury.

Our friends at the GNC cart in the Burlington Mall have sent Boston Movie Tours some great pictures of the Mall Cop set. Thanks to Chris Bynoe, and congratulations on your upcomming wedding!

Cop Comedy Coming to a Mall Near You!

Coming to a mall near you! New England native Adam Sandler is co-producing Mall Cop, a comedy about a security guard trying to stop a group of crooks who take over a mall.

According to the Boston Herald, the Boston area is the chosen location and shooting is set to begin next month. Kevin James from Hitch and The King of Queens co-wrote the comedy and is set to star.

Mall Cop reunites James and Sandler who recently worked on I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry.