Thames was starstruck this week as Hollywood stars filtered into town to film scenes for Obsidian, the working title of the A Minecraft Movie sequel.
Hollywood celebrities Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Kirsten Dunst were among the stars confirmed to be in town for the filming of the A Minecraft Movie sequel, which was largely taking place in a block of shops at the Grahamstown end of Pollen St.
Preparation for the filming had already begun over the weekend, with the film crew putting up temporary signage over existing storefronts to change the stores into shops from the fictional town of “Chuglass”.
Filming began early on Monday morning. Pollen St was cordoned off between Pahau and Cochrane Streets, with many of the affected businesses taking to social media to confirm they had been asked to remain closed on Monday and Tuesday while filming was taking place.
Onlookers hoping for a glimpse of a movie star were rewarded for their patience when Jack Black stepped away from the set to engage with fans. The A Minecraft Movie star was happy to chat and take selfies, even waving out and reacting to the crowds between takes.
An art director told The Profile the production was great business for Thames.
“We’ve tried to be as friendly as we can to the town, and employ locals and get local contractors – it’s a good injection of money,” he said.
“It’s a big thing closing down a block of retail, it’s not easy.”
He said the experience had been fantastic.
“It’s a fun film. The cast are really nice. It’s got a good vibe around it,” he said.
“It’s quite surreal. You sort of know it as your local place and then all the actors are there – it just feels incongruous to your everyday.”
Others were also thrilled to be a part of the experience.
“It’s not every day something like this happens in a small town like Thames,” a traffic control staff member said.
The Thames filming is week four of on-location shooting, with filming previously taking place in Huntly in April.
Along with the Pollen St site, some filming work will be taking place in Victoria Park in Thames, where sets including an iron golem-themed playground have been constructed.
A crew member said there was another week or so of filming due to take place in New Zealand before the production moved back into the studio.
