Movie, TV projects filmed in Worcester: How many have you seen?

Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper walk down Main Street in Worcester in a scene from "American Hustle."
Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper walk down Main Street in Worcester in a scene from "American Hustle."

Worcester has certainly become a hotbed for big Hollywood and small indie productions.

Here’s a list of projects (and their release date) filmed in Worcester:

“American Hustle” (2013), starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence. Scenes filmed at Nick’s Bar and Restaurant on Millbury Street, Union Station and the Worcester Art Museum. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards. 

“Ava” (2020), starring Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Geena Davis and Colin Farrell. Scenes filmed at the Worcester Regional Airport.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (Nov. 11, 2022), the biggest movie production to ever hit Worcester, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” filmed a complex chase scene in a blocked-off downtown consisting of three police cruisers barreling down Main Street toward Lincoln Square to block an armored Humvee with a motorcycle and its driver (who was either actress Letitia Wright or her stunt double) fastened to the roof of the armored vehicle. Another highly involved combination chase and fight scene, involving motocross motorcycles and police cruisers, was filmed in front of The Cathedral of Saint Paul at 38 Chatham St.

“Captain Phillips” (2013), starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. Scenes filmed at the Worcester Regional Airport. Nominated for six Academy Awards.

“Castle Rock” (2018), starring  Bill Skarsgård. Scenes filmed in the lobby of the Mercantile Building and at Vernon Hill School on Providence Street. Series on Hulu.

The movie "Christmas on Ice" was shot in part on the Worcester Common, as well as in other locations around town.
The movie "Christmas on Ice" was shot in part on the Worcester Common, as well as in other locations around town.

“Christmas on Ice” (2020), scenes filmed at Worcester Common Oval, City Hall, Worcester Ice Center and BirchTree Bread Co. “Christmas on Ice” and “Christmas à la Mode” (2019), which was also filmed in downtown Worcester, both aired on Lifetime.

“Confess, Fletch” (2022), the eagerly anticipated “Fletch” reboot starring “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm. Filming took place in the T&G offices, located in Mercantile Center at 100 Front St.; Cicero’s Café on Suffolk Street; and the Worcester Police station at Lincoln Square.

“Defending Jacob” (2020), starring Chris Evans. Scenes filmed at Come Play Products and Vincent’s, both on Suffolk Street; Ingleside Avenue and Richmond Avenue neighborhoods. Series on Apple TV+.

“Dexter: New Blood” (2021), Michael C. Hall returns as everybody’s favorite fictional serial killer for the reboot of Showtime’s “Dexter.” Taking place during the Christmas season (and using plenty of fake snow),  “Dexter: New Blood” was filmed at the AC Hotel by Marriott Worcester, Colby Avenue, and Flagg Street, all in Worcester; the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in West Boylston; in Grafton and at the Bull Run in Shirley.

Snow on Colby Avenue, as film crews from u0022Dexteru0022 get set to shoot a winter scene.
Snow on Colby Avenue, as film crews from u0022Dexteru0022 get set to shoot a winter scene.

“Don’t Look Up” (2021), in a scene filmed in the DCU Center, Meryl Streep plays President Janie Orlean, who shrugs off astronomers’ warnings of a devastating meteor on a collision course with Earth and spreads “fake news” to her rabid fan base about the severity of the impending impact. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play the star-crossed astronomers.

“Free Guy” (2021), starring Ryan Reynolds. Scenes filmed in and around Brew on the Grid, at Portland and Franklin streets across from Worcester Common.

“The Holdover” (2023), in a night scene shot in February 26, 2022 on Worcester Common, Paul Giamatti runs into an old Harvard classmate and his wife on the steps that lead to the back entrance of Worcester City Hall. The scene takes place during the Christmas season of 1970. Attention for the shoot focused at the skating oval behind City Hall. And estimated 100 extras, including skaters and walkers, wore '70s appropriate winter attire while classic cars sped up and down Franklin Street in the background (even though they are not seen in the final cut). Christmas lights were streamed across the outer boundaries of the oval, as well as the railings to the stairs that lead to the back entrance of City Hall. Nominated for five Academy Awards.

Liam Neeson stands in front of the Cathedral of Saint Paul on Chatham Street, Worcester, in a pivotal scene in ''Honest Thief.''
Liam Neeson stands in front of the Cathedral of Saint Paul on Chatham Street, Worcester, in a pivotal scene in ''Honest Thief.''

“Honest Thief” (2020), starring Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos and Robert Patrick. Too many Worcester scenes to count.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Dec. 21, 2022), the Whitney Houston biopic shot a scene at the Worcester Regional Airport. In the scene, Whitney (played by British actress Naomi Ackie) and her sister-in-law (and future manager) Pat Houston (played by Kris Sidberry) walk off a private jet parked on the runway. Wearing dark sunglasses, leopard-patterned blouse, black leather pants and dangling a designer purse from her arm, Houston has a verbal exchange with the jet’s captain, played by Jon F. Merz, about flying out that night rather the next day as originally planned. Whitney questions her sister-in-law as the two walk toward a limo adjacent to the jet at the airport.“The Judge” (2014), starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vera Farmiga and Billy Bob Thornton. Scenes filmed at Worcester Regional Airport. Duvall was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Vintage mannequins were popping up Thursday inside the Denholm Building for ''Julia,'' an HBO series on the life of ''French Chef'' Julia Child.
Vintage mannequins were popping up Thursday inside the Denholm Building for ''Julia,'' an HBO series on the life of ''French Chef'' Julia Child.

“Julia” (2021), starring Sarah Lancashire (as Julia Child) and David Hyde Pierce. Scenes filmed at the Denholm Building. Series on HBO Max.

“Kevin James: Irregardless,” starring Kevin James. In the fall of 2022, “The King of Queens” held court for two sold-out nights at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. The end result of his successful two-night stint is James’ new comedy special, “Irregardless,” which started streaming Jan. 23 on Prime Video. And the Hanover Theatre has never looked lovelier.“Knight and Day” (2010), starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Opening scene filmed at the Worcester Regional Airport.

“Letters to Santa” (2023), shot in Worcester, Auburn and Princeton in 11 days. Worcester locales include Bedlam Book Café, 138 Green St.; Lock 50, 50 Water St.; The Glass Tower at 446 Main St.; The White Room, 138 Green St.; Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center and Bay State Brewery & Taproom, both at 112 Harding St.; and a private home on Whitman Road. The opening scene film features an aerial view of Luks Tree Farm in Auburn. Aired on the Hallmark Channel.

“Madame Web” (Oct. 6, 2023), the latest “Spider-Man” spinoff shot a scene on Main Street in Worcester which included New York City taxicabs, cars from the early 2000s and a New York ambulance barreling down the street towards Lincoln Square. Dakota Johnson stars in the title role.

"The Maiden Heist" (2009), starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy and Marcia Gay Harden. Filmed mainly at the Worcester Art Museum. Despite its star power, the film was a DVD release only.

“The Parenting” (TBA) a New Line Cinema project for HBO Max, “The Parenting” stars Brian Cox (from “Succession”), Edie Falco (from “The Sopranos”), Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”) and Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”). Filming included the Vendrome apartment building at 17-23 Chandler St., where two of the principal characters live, and a big same-sex wedding party at Union Station, where the Telegram & Gazette spotted Cox, Falco, Kudrow and Norris entering the station.

“Salvation” (Release date TBA), starring Ashley Moore and Thomas Jane, filmed a scene at the Boulevard Diner on Shrewsbury Street. Moore’s scene at the Boulevard Diner (renamed Coot’s Diner in the film) consists of her waitressing in the greasy spoon, exiting a side door carrying a bag of trash and walking to the back, where someone pushes her to the ground near a trash container. Inside, the grill was filled with pancakes, which probably indicates that the scene filmed inside take place during the breakfast rush. "Salvation" also filmed at the UMass Memorial Medical Center Hahnemann Campus at 281 Lincoln St., Worcester, where someone is rushed to the emergency room after being bitten by a snake.

“School Ties" (1992), the first film ever made with Brendan Fraser and featured “unknown” actors Matt Damon, Chris O’Donnell and Ben Affleck includes scenes shot at the former train station in Leominster, the Blue Moon Diner in downtown Gardner (which was changed to Skip’s Diner in the movie), St. Mark’s School in Southborough and Worcester Academy (which was used as the place where Fraser meets Amy Locane at a girls’ school mixer, circa 1955).

“The Sea of Trees” (2015), starring Matthew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts. Scenes filmed on Park Avenue, the Clark University campus and Purgatory Chasm in Sutton. Booed at the Cannes Film Festival.

Spenser For Hire (1986), starring Robert Urich, “special guest-star” John Davidson, and hundreds of unpaid local extras. ABC’s “Spenser: For Hire” taped for two days, Feb. 25 and 26, 1986, at the Centrum. One of the days was a closed set, which provided most of the Centrum footage used in the episode titled “At the River’s Edge.” However, when the local extras that came out for day two, Davidson in the guise of Rev. Bobby Freemont, a crusading preacher being groomed for the White House, chomped away at the scenery from the Centrum stage, while Urich, wearing a black satin Boston Bruins jacket, hung out in the doorway of Section 105 in the arena. In addition, Chimera — the popular local rock band from the ‘80s fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Mike Ladd — played Rev. Freemont’s house band in the episode.

“Spirited” (November 2022), in this musical reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” (for Apple TV+), Ryan Reynolds, who plays the Scrooge role, filmed scenes in the Great Hall of Mechanics Hall, where a set was constructed and dressed to look like a Rockettes-inspired "Christmas Spectacular" stage show. While Will Ferrell, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, was a no-show in Worcester, Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer (in an undisclosed role) was spotted alongside Reynolds, going into Mechanics Hall.

“Surrogates” (2009), starring Bruce Willis. Filmed in the old Central District Court building and the former Boys' Vocational High School on the north end of Main Street.

“The Tender Bar” (2021), the third floor of the 93-year-old Commerce High School was transformed into the newsroom of The New York Times, circa 1980s, for the George Clooney-directed, Ben Affleck-starring “The Tender Bar.” In addition, many exterior scenes, with Affleck behind the wheel of a ‘70s convertible, were shot in Fitchburg.

“Tumbledown” (2016), starring Jason Sudeikis, Rebecca Hall, Blythe Danner, Griffin Dunne and Joe Manganiello. Scenes filmed on Grove Street and at Worcester State University.

“We Don't Belong Here” (2017), starring Catherine Keener, Cary Elwes, Anton Yelchin and Anne Starke. Scenes filmed at Ralph’s Chadwick Square Diner. Released on video on demand, DVD and Blu-Ray.

More: 'Thousands of jobs behind the stars': Worcester businesses reap benefits from film tax incentive

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: movies tv projects filmed in or near Worcester, Central Mass.