TORONTO FILMING UPDATES: JULY 2012

Kristen Kreuk & Jay Ryan in Beauty and the Beast

Filming is kicking into High Gear in Toronto after being in the doldrums earlier this year and the Ontario Media Development Corporation have just announced some updates as to what's to come...

Everyone's curious about upcoming Teen-Fiction Series The Mortal Instruments' move to the Big Screen and in has been confirmed that Production begins August 2012 with Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1) and Jemima West (The Borgias) being confirmed additions to the Cast headed by the beautiful Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror, Abducted) as Clary Fray.  Sony Screen Gems releases the Title and loves making Movies in Toronto with their Carrie Remake currently is filming in the City and also their Resident Evil: Retribution pegged for a September 2012 release.

Horror Helmer Eli Roth (Hostel, The Last Exorcism) is set to begin Production on his Netflix Series Hemlock Grove, starring Famke Janssen (X-Men Franchise), Landon Liboiron (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Dougray Scott (My Week with Marilyn).  One trusty Source spotted Roth out and about last week wearing the shortest of Shorts ... and we're not talking about those of the Film variety!

Although its Pilot was filmed here earlier this year, The CW's Beauty and the Beast was green-lit in May and its first Season begins filming in the City late July. This means Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Jay Ryan (Legend of the Seeker) and Nicole Anderson (Make It or Break It) will be back shortly.

BENJAMIN BRATT TO FILM "THE LESSER BLESSED" IN SUDBURY

Still from Modern Family

Although he's been quieter of late, occasionally appearing on Modern Family and Private Practice, Benjamin Bratt is slated to begin Production on new TV Film The Lesser Blessed for a month tentatively beginning mid-November, fully utilizing his ethnic good looks to full versatility. The Drama is about a young First Nations Man who stuggles to find his place in the Modern World.

The Film is based upon a Novel by Richard van Camp and a Film was originally in-the-works back in 2007 but now finally ready to begin.

Production will take place mostly in Sudbury, along with another Feature called The Truth starring Eva Longoria, Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia. Has Sudbury replaced Toronto as the new Hollywood North?

(Photo credit: ABC)

ANDY GARCIA & EVA LONGORIA TAPPED FOR "THE TRUTH": TO FILM IN ONTARIO

Kevin Durand in Toronto - September 2011

One of the latest titles to begin filming in-and-around Ontario is Damian Lee’s The Truth, as reported by Deadline.  Production is going to be based out of Sudbury, about 387 km away from Toronto. The Thriller stars a quiet-of-late Academy Award nominated-Andy Garcia (Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather III) as an ex-CIA member who becomes a Talk Show Host. He is hired by a Whistleblower (Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria) to expose her Company’s massacre of a village in South America. Filming takes place in and around Ontario and also the Dominican Republic. Ontario dates are scheduled tentatively from October 27 through November 16, 2011.

In addition to Garcia and Longoria, the Film stars also Devon Bostick, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates, Academy Award-winning Forest Whitaker and a familiar face in Kevin Durand, who currently is in-town working on Resident Evil: Retribution. The Film will be released in 2012.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)