Re-constructing a horror house
Set work in Oshawa to begin in early July
Filming for the second chapter of the film adaptation of Stephen King’s IT is set to take place in Oshawa this summer on James and Eulalie Streets, the same location used in 2016 for filming of the first instalment.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
Pennywise is returning to James Street.
In the summer of 2016, the corner of James Street and Eulalie Avenue in Oshawa became the haunted home belonging to the evil entity for the film adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel IT, the set forming only a piece of the movie that would become one of the top grossing horror films of all time with a $700 million worldwide box office haul, toppling The Exorcist, which had held the post for decades.
During the summer months of 2016, the quiet street corner in Oshawa was alive with film crews and residents looking to get a glimpse of the facade that would form the haunted set. For those who may have not gotten their opportunity two years ago will have a second chance this summer as the second chapter in the series is set to film in the same location from July to mid-September.
The word crept into the public realm following a meeting of Oshawa city council at the end of June that saw them approve a noise exemption for Third Act Productions for film work in the very same area the filming took place in 2016.
Keen-eyed observers could have recognized the name of the same production company, Third Act Productions, who organized the first production of the film. However, those who know the IT storyline, of a group of children fighting an evil entity that feeds off young kids and appears most commonly as a clown, would have known that the second chapter of the story deals with the same children, but as adults, who are forced to return to their fictional town of Derry to fight IT who has returned 27 years later. The storyline requires a return to the home constructed, and then removed, on the corner of Eulalie and James Street.
According to the council motion, work is anticipated to begin on July 9 and end Sept. 17, road closures and local traffic restrictions will be needed in the area and filming after 11 p.m. will be needed for at least two nights in August.
Along with the exemption, Third Act Productions is required to provide notification of the project to all homes within 200 metres of the location with details surrounding the time frame of the work and the anticipated noise. Third Act is required to provide a contact number for a supervisor for residents to call if they have any concerns or questions and that this number also be provided to properties within a 200 metre radius.