A new movie wants to film in RI. Why they want to use the Cranston Street Armory

Paul Edward Parker, Providence Journal
·1 min read
The 1907 Cranston Street Armory, abandoned by the National Guard in 1996, has served multiple purposes over the years, including a distribution site for polio vaccines, a venue for inauguration balls, and, last winter, a warming site and homeless shelter.
The 1907 Cranston Street Armory, abandoned by the National Guard in 1996, has served multiple purposes over the years, including a distribution site for polio vaccines, a venue for inauguration balls, and, last winter, a warming site and homeless shelter.

PROVIDENCE — The Cranston Street Armory, which doubled as a sound stage during the production of Disney's "Hocus Pocus 2" two years ago, is up for another Hollywood role.

James L. Brooks, who produced "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret," hopes to film "Ella McCay" at the armory beginning next month and going through May 2024. The film, about an idealistic politician poised to run for governor as she deals with lingering family issues, is set to star Emma Mackey, who played Physicist Barbie in the summer hit "Barbie." Mackey is also known for playing Maeve in Netflix's "Sex Education," Emily Brontë in last year's "Emily" and Jacqueline de Bellefort in "Death on the Nile."

Hocus Pocus 3 is in the works at Disney: Will it film in Rhode Island?

The local production company for the movie, TCS Rhode Island Productions 1, says it will hire 225 people to work on the movie, though not all of them would work at the armory. It proposes paying $5,000 a month in rent before moving into the building and $10,000 a month after.

The use of the armory is pending approval of the State Properties Committee, which meets Tuesday to consider the proposal.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI's Cranston Street Armory could be sounds stage for Ella McCay movie