It seems like Bradford won’t be shut out of the action when the
20th Century Fox movie “Unstoppable” rolls into Cameron and parts
of McKean counties next month.
All those movie people will need places to stay.
“We can confirm from the city’s standpoint that we’ve been in
contact with people from the movie that’s being filmed,” said Mayor
Tom Riel on Thursday night. “A few dozen people with the movie have
been in town for a couple of days and will be leaving (today). A
substantial amount of filming will be done in the Eldred, Emporium
and Port Allegany areas. Those areas don’t have a large amount of
accommodations.
“Several hundred people will probably be staying in the Bradford
area for a couple of weeks,” Riel said. “As mayor, and the city,
we’ve done anything we can to be as helpful as we can to
accommodate them.
“It will be a tremendous boost to our local economy,” Riel said.
“The city is doing all they can to accommodate these folks in and
around the Bradford area, including pretty much every hotel.
“It’s exciting and it could mean a substantial amount of money
injected into our economy from the end of August to the beginning
of October,” Riel said.
“This is big-time Hollywood movie with Hollywood stars … with
Denzel Washington as the leading actor playing the leading role.
This movie – there’s no question this movie is going to happen even
though there’s most likely not going to be any filming in the
Bradford area.”
Riel said he’s met and spoken with director Tony Scott, who has
done some high-caliber films like “Days of Thunder,” “Crimson Tide”
and “Man On Fire.”
“He seems like a great guy and we expressed to him that we will
do anything we can to accommodate him,” Riel said.
The mayor explained it doesn’t look like any filming will be
done in Bradford.
“A few places have been looked at for some very small scenes,”
he said, stressing the action in Bradford won’t be the type that’s
scripted, directed and filmed.
“Primarily the benefit Bradford will see is accommodating
several hundred people,” Riel said. “We hope they spend a lot of
money in Bradford.
“I’m excited about it. It will be very helpful to our local
economy,” the mayor added.
Riel said he’s spent time with several people involved with the
movie, and has heard positive comments about the area.
“They like Bradford. They find it a very picturesque and
beautiful town,” he said.
“It’s a tremendous thing to have this caliber of Hollywood
people here. If we could just get them to film the movie here, that
would be nice.”
Unstoppable is a 20th Century Fox drama about a runaway train
carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. Denzel Washington plays an
experienced engineer who is about to be laid off as part of company
cutbacks. Chris Pine, who recently starred as Capt. James T. Kirk
in “Star Trek,” plays a conductor.
The two are chasing the runaway train in a separate locomotive
and need to bring it under control before it derails on a curve and
causes a toxic spill that will decimate a town.
The movie, written by Mark Bomback, is inspired by actual
events.
This movie marks the fifth time that director Scott has teamed
with Washington.
