Beyond the CW superhero shows and one-and-done pilot episodes, there are some buzzy new feature films, limited TV series and full seasons being shot throughout January and February in B.C.
The Answers (TV pilot)
This buzzy new FX pilot is led by the super producer team of Danny Strong (Billions, Empire) and Darren Aronofksy. Based on a novel by the same name, the series is about a heartbroken woman who joins an experiment to “hack love” with plenty of mystery and intrigue. Part The Handmaid’s Tale with a dash of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this could be the next prestige TV must-watch.
Animal Control (TV series, season one)
Fans of cult sitcom classic Community will be happy to hear that Joel McHale is back with a new series on Fox. Animal Control has a straight-to-series order (meaning it has cleared the pilot stage) and the workplace comedy centres around an eccentric former cop (McHale) who prefers the company of animals to humans. (McHale should feel right at home filming as his mother is from Vancouver and he grew up on Mercer Island and later appeared in Seattle-based sketch series, Almost Live!, a show only people in the Pacific Northwest will remember.)
Longlegs (feature film)
Nicolas Cage fans may want to keep their eyes peeled for a star sighting as he films a new psychological horror film in Vancouver from mid-January 2023 until the end of February. The plot details are being kept under wraps as of now, but Nicolas Cage’s body of work is wide-ranging and stacked with wildly inventive horror films. There’s some Hollywood pedigree in the mix as well, as director Osgood Perkins is the son of original Psycho star Anthony Perkins.
The Painter (feature film)
Directed by Kimani Ray Smith and starring Jon Voight, there’s very limited information about The Painter available but the plot revolves around a former CIA assassin (we’ve heard that one before) who is pulled into danger when someone he loves is murdered. (From what we can glean, it sounds like Taken meets The Bourne Identity.)
The Spiderwick Chronicles
This new Disney+ adaption of the book series (which was also adapted in 2008) stars Christian Slater as the villainous Mulgarath and Lyon Daniels, Noah Cottrell and Mychala Lee as the Grace children. In the 2022 version, a family (headed by their mother Helen, played by Joy Bryant) takes over their run-down ancestral home in Michigan and is pulled into a fantastical world of goblins and faeries. The classic children’s tale will fit right in at Disney.
Yellowjackets (TV series, season two)
Yellowjackets is in production until mid-February but a teaser has been released for season two and it has already been renewed for season three. There have been no spoilers released so the mystery of the post-plane crash survival and current-day mysteries continue.
Under the Bridge (limited TV series)
A true crime story that many British Columbians are familiar with, this Hulu series is an adaption of Rebecca Godfrey’s book, Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk. Virk’s tragic death and the sensational trial that followed is part of B.C. history. Virk’s parents, Suman (who passed away in an accident in 2018) and Manjit Virk spearheaded teen anti-bullying educational campaigns in their daughter’s memory. It will star Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone and Ezra Faroque Khan.
