Stars descend on Newfoundland for filming of Apple TV+'s Severance
Melissa Tobin | CBC | Posted: May 13, 2023 8:30 AM | Last Updated: May 13, 2023
Director Ben Stiller, actors Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette filming in Bonavista, Keels, Port Union
It's the worst-kept secret on the Bonavista Peninsula.
The acclaimed Apple TV+ show Severance is filming in the area this month, shooting in Bonavista, Keels and Port Union.
And it's got lots of locals talking, despite the efforts from the film crew to keep things hush-hush.
Darryl Johnson is the town manager for Trinity Bay North, the municipality that oversees Port Union. He's helped set up road closures in town but says he's mainly staying out of the way.
From his office, he can see the big lights from the former fish plant and trucks and crew coming and going.
"It's good just to see the commotion of people going around and see all the workers around," he says.
"They're doing a scene at the old fish plant down there and people [were] calling and said, 'What's going on at the fish plant? Is that [opened] up again?'"
Along with the celebrities like Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette, Johnson said, it's great to see locals working at a time they wouldn't normally be.
"I know six or eight people just from here that are working security," said Johnson.
Local hospitality businesses are also seeing a boost.
Carl White, who owns the Seaport Inn and Carl's Fireside Restaurant in Port Union, says the energy is welcome after a hard time during the pandemic.
"All my rooms are filled for 18 days, so it's great. Disney last year, now we got this, this is great. This will open up a new aspect I think for the tourism in this area," says White.
Staying at his place are mainly special-effects crew and drivers, White said, but's he keeping an eye out for celebrities.
Staying at his place are mainly special-effects crew and drivers, White said, but's he keeping an eye out for celebrities.
WATCH | Bonavista residents are enjoying the spotlight on the community:
Just down the street, near the Coaker Heritage Foundation, the owners of the Harbourside Inn and Cafe had a better view.
Their inn is also hosting members of the crew, but their business is also within sight of the filming location.
They had to close up shop for one day, with instructions to stay away from windows and avoid going in front of the property.
But as co-owner Tanya Warren says, it's been hard not to take a peek. She's seen big blocks of ice that, rumour has it, the crew has been using to make snow for specific scenes.
Warren says everyone knows what's going on in town, but that doesn't mean the film crew isn't trying to keep things as secretive as possible.
Producers would not confirm which show was being filmed or how long they will be there, and CBC was asked not to take pictures near the shooting locations.
Production in Bonavista is happening in shadow of the writer's strike in the United States, where more than 11,000 film and TV writers from the Writers Guild of America are in a labour dispute with eight major studios, including Apple. Entertainment news outlet Deadline reported earlier this week that filming for Severance in New York shut down because of the strike.
It could be a while before this episode of Severance, featuring the Bonavista Peninsula, makes it to TV screens, but the show's presence still had people in the area beaming.
"It gives you a sense of pride after people coming here and wanting to shoot in your community," said Johnson, who hopes to see more film crews in his town.
And even though it's been a different pace than people in the small community are used to, White said, it's a positive thing.
"No one's complaining, I gotta say. Everyone … can't believe that there's movie stars here."
"No one's complaining, I gotta say. Everyone … can't believe that there's movie stars here."