The bright lights are shining on a familiar London landmark this week
It's a bridge that sits on the border of Ironwood Township, Penn., but Londoners know it better as Blackfriars Bridge.
Blackfriars is getting a second chance at a cameo in the upcoming Amazon Prime video series ‘Motorheads.’
"They were going to film here, last August was when they first reached out,” said Andrew Dodd.
Dodd is the manager of Film London, an arm of the London Economic Development Corporation.
He continued, “A couple of weeks before shooting, the strikes happened in Hollywood. SAG-AFTRA went on strike and the whole thing had to shut down."
Dodd wasn't sure London would get a second chance, but then the call came, "Start of this year, 2024, they reach out again and said we have every intention of coming back."
Sign on London's Blackfriars Bridge, seen on April 17, 2024, welcomes people to Ironwood Township, Penn. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)
The series features Ryan Phillippe, Nathalie Kelley, and Michael Cimino.
It's set in a once-thriving Rust Belt town where outsiders form unlikely friendships over a love of automobiles.
Dodd said there are online databases that industry leaders use to select locations.
“There are a few different libraries that people in the industry can access,” Dodd told CTV News. “There’s Ontario Creates, which is a provincial locations library database. We also have a London-specific database on London.ca. Then we get word-of-mouth out to as many location managers and scouts as we can about what great resources and locations we have here in London."
Sherrie Cameron lives on Blackfriars Street, about a block away from the bridge. She said members of the production team reached out to those in the neighbourhood prior to the production getting underway, "He said, 'Are you ready for the circus?"
Equipment at Blackfriars Bridge in London, Ont., seen on April 17, 2024, to be used for shooting an Amazon Prime TV show. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)
Cameron regularly uses Blackfriars Bridge to go into the downtown. She said she had no issue with losing access for a few days, and was looking forward to seeing production crews in action, "I can't wait for it. Yeah, I'll be out here recording it for sure."
Dodd said none of the stars were expected to be on site, with the scene primarily using stunt team members.
Still, streets in the neighbourhood were lined with equipment trucks, preparing for shooting which would take place Thursday evening.
Dodd said film, TV, and streaming service productions bring a significant benefit to the community, “They stay in our hotels. They'll hire our local crews. They'll pay residents of friendly communities like Blackfriars to park in their driveway or maybe to use part of their property. They'll eat at our restaurants. So it's a good news story for London."
A release date for Motorheads has not been set.
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