Boston Marathon Bombing

Watertown Scenes in ‘Patriots Day’ to be Shot in MetroWest Suburb

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Filmmakers will recreate the Watertown Shootout and the scene around the boat where Dzhohkar Tsarnaev was captured will be shot in Framingham. The shooting of “Patriots Day” has hit top gear, and WBZ-TV Channel 4 reports that the town in the MetroWest will be the stand-in for Watertown. Originally, filmmakers wanted to used the same streets where Watertown Police battled the Boston Marathon Bombers as the scene for their film, but the idea had some strong opposition in town and Town officials decided to pass on the opportunity. David Henneberry, the owner of the boat, told the Boston Herald he had no interest in participating in the film. Forced to look for a new spot, they chose Framingham.

Around Town

Hundreds Celebrate Watertown Strong Spirit at 3rd Annual 5K Run

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Nearly 500 runners and walkers came out to take part in the race that was created to celebrate the spirit shown in Watertown after the capture of the Boston Marathon Bombers. 

Participants in third annual Watertown Strong 5K enjoyed sunny weather on Sunday. New Police Chief Michael Lawn thanked all those who came out to join in the race, or just to come watch. He remembered how the Watertown community pulled together during the lockdown and celebrated after the the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on April 19, 2013. Retired-Police Chief Edward Deveau also attended the event, which started and ended at Tufts Health Plan. As she has the last two years, Caillie Hughes performed her song “That Night” and sang the National Anthem before the race.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Patriots Day Movie Filming in Famous Beantown Drinking Spot

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The Patriots Day movie, which will include scenes from the Watertown shootout and manhunt, has started filming, and this week is in Jamaica Plain. 

Crews were at Doyle’s restaurant and pub on Washington Street in JP today, and will be shooting there for a few days, according to Jamaica Plain News. Read the whole story here. The scene being shot at Doyle’s may include police officers. Patriots Day stars Mark Wahlberg as a police officer – a character which is a composite of a few people. His wife will be played by Michelle Monaghan, who appeared in another Boston-area film, “Gone Baby Gone.” The movie recently added Kevin Bacon as the FBI Special Agent in Charge in Boston.

Boston Marathon Bombing

See Who Will Play Boston Mayor Menino in ‘Patriots Day’

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The makers of the movie chronicling the events around the Boston Marathon Bombings announced the latest casting choice, Vincent Curatola who will portray Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Curatola, who is known for his work on The Sopranos and The Good Wife, joins Boston-native and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Lone Survivor), Golden Globe-winner John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Inside Llewyn Davis, Argo), Academy Award-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Zootopia) and Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley, Criminal Minds) in Patriots Day. The film will be directed by Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor) and produced by Scott Stuber, Mark Wahlberg, Hutch Parker, Dylan Clark, Stephen Levinson, Dorothy Aufiero and Michael Radutzky. Patriots Day will be co-financed by CBS Films and Lionsgate with the former handling production and marketing and the latter handling distribution.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Changes of Plans for Filming at Scene of Watertown Shootout

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Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced that plans recreate the Watertown Shootout on the same streets that the incident occurred have been scrapped. Driscoll sent out the announcement Friday afternoon:
“Upon further reflection, filming the recreation of the Watertown Shootout when police encountered the Boston Marathon Bombers at the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street is not in the best interest of Watertown. Therefore, CBS Films will proceed with identifying another location to film the Shootout outside of the Town of Watertown.” The announcement came after a week of emotional responses by many residents about re-enacting the firefight between Watertown Police and the Tsarnaev brothers on April 19, 2013. CBS Films had met with residents of Laurel Street to discuss plans, but the meeting held on Feb.

Boston Marathon Bombing

LETTER: Mother Worries About Impact of ‘Patriots Day’ Filming in Watertown

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Esteemed Councilors,

I’m a resident of District C, and I’m writing to you today to urge you to register your opposition to the filming of Patriots Day in the Laurel/Dexter Street neighborhood. At the time of the shootout — in which over 200 rounds were fired, one person was killed in a particularly gruesome way and a police officer was injured, I lived in that neighborhood. The garage of the home where I lived was about 75 feet from the shootout. My children still live there half the week, as my former husband and I share custody of them. I want to tell you that it’s not just about recreating a traumatic event with pyrotechnics late at night in the same neighborhood that witnessed these horrible events.

Around Town

LETTER: Resident Opposes Filming Recreation of Watertown Shootout

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Dear Mr. Driscoll and Councilors Sideris, Dattoli, Falkoff, Palomba, Kounelis, Feltner, Piccirilli, Woodland, and Dushku,

I am writing to oppose the re-creation and filming of gun battle scenes for the movie “Patriots Day” on Laurel Street in Watertown. I live near-by on Boylston Street — close enough that my husband heard the sound of the shootout as it happened, close enough to be woken by the sounds of helicopters over my house that night. When I learned that the five nights of filming planned on Laurel Street within ear shot of my home would be loud, including gunshots until midnight, I felt angry and anxious. I wondered — who would allow this to happen in our town?! As I learned more, I felt the tears fill my eyes.

Around Town

Town Manager Releases Statement on Filming at Scene of Watertown Shootout

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Town Manager Michael Driscoll reacted to the proposal to shoot a film in Watertown recreating the events of the Boston Marathon Bombings, including at the site of the Watertown Shootout. Representatives from CBS Films met with residents of Laurel Street on Feb. 12, and shared the proposed schedule. The filming included night action where the sounds of gunshots would be used to recreate the firefight between Watertown Police and the Tsarnaev brothers. Word that the dramatic events would be replayed in the same area where they occurred was met with an outpouring of emotional responses from Watertown residents, a majority of whom opposed the idea.