Do not feed the animals on 'The Zookeeper' set

There are several "no food or drinks" signs on "The Zookeeper" set at the park's elaborate mini-zoo location near the Giraffe Entrance of the Franklin Park Zoo located at 1 Franklin Park Rd.

Word is that production crews have shipped in a few animals to the set to coincide with the creature cast voiced by celebrities including Adam Sandler, Cher, Jon Favreau, Sylvester Stallone and Judd Apatow.

The five will voice animals at the zoo where keeper James longs for his female love interest played by Dawson. Sandler will be the voice of a capuchin monkey while Cher is slotted to be a giraffe. Favreau has been cast as a bear, Stallone as a lion and Apatow as an elephant.

There's a giant stone wall on the off-limits set, with telescopes and street lamps, which resembles the facade of a mini zoo within the zoo. As previously reported in Loaded Gun, the structures are built for filming purposes only.

In "The Zookeeper," Kevin James plays a zoo caretaker who consults with the animals in an attempt to learn their methods of dating and mating to help him win back the woman of his dreams. Rosario Dawson has been cast as Kate, the smart zoo veterinarian who works alongside James' character Griffin. Leslie Bibb plays Stephanie, the ex who broke Griffin's heart.

Also, Dorchester homeboy Donnie Wahlberg has joined the cast of the made-in-Boston flick.

Click here for the latest on "The Zookeeper."

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"From the moment we had any influence in this town, we've been trying to get this project off the ground. It demonstrates how everyday citizens have changed the course of history."

--Cambridge homeboy Matt Damon drums up support for "The People Speak," a historical documentary weaving together selections from diaries, speeches and other primary sources adapted from Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States."

“I’m having so much fun. . . . I didn’t expect [the area] to be so beautiful. I don’t know why I didn’t, but it’s gorgeous.’’

--Amy Adams says she's enjoying the scenery while filming the "Irish" Micky Ward biopic, "The Fighter," with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in Lowell.

“I’m a storyteller. It’s what I do. And after hearing all the stories from people I talked to about the film, I had to tell their stories and show that there is hope.”

--Joe Pantoliano, known for his work on "The Sopranos," unveils his indie flick geared at de-stigmatizing mental illness called "No Kidding, Me Too" at the Woods Hole Film Festival.

“I was game to try the Boston accent, but Ben cleverly put in that my character had moved from New Hampshire. He knew the danger to the film if the accent wasn’t done well.’’

--Michelle Monaghan, in town promoting the flick "Trucker," chats about how she avoided doing a fake Boston accent in the made-in-Boston film "Gone Baby Gone."

"There is so much about humanity in this script and so much we are trying to understand about ourselves. Who are we as a [people]."

--Cameron Diaz, star of the made-in-Massachusetts film "The Box," spills to the press at Comic-Con about the existential dilemmas explored in director Richard Kelly's movie.

Native Donnie Wahlberg joins 'The Zookeeper' cast

Dorchester homeboy and NKOTB trailblazer Donnie Wahlberg has joined the made-in-Boston flick "The Zookeeper," starring Kevin James and Rosario Dawson.

Wahlberg spilled the news via Twitter here: "For those wondering what my wardrobe session was all about yesterday," he writes. "Now ya know ... I'm doing the movie 'Zookeeper' with Kevin James and Rosario Dawson."

Preliminary filming of "The Zookeeper" kicked off Monday, July 20 at the Franklin Park Zoo's elaborate mini-zoo set near the Giraffe Entrance of the park located at 1 Franklin Park Rd. Primary filming is slotted for mid August.

Slotted to film during regular park hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., "The Zookeeper" set resembled a Hollywood-style movie lot swarming with production staff on golf carts and lighting rigs peering behind off-limits structures built for filming purposes only.

"The Zookeeper" follows James as a zoo caretaker who consults with the animals in an attempt to learn their methods of dating and mating to help him win back the woman of his dreams.

Adam Sandler, Cher, Jon Favreau, Sylvester Stallone and Judd Apatow have signed on as animal voices. The five reportedly will voice animals at the zoo where keeper James longs for his female love interest played by Dawson. Sandler will be the voice of a capuchin monkey while Cher is slotted to be a giraffe. Favreau has been cast as a bear, Stallone as a lion and Apatow as an elephant.

In addition to "The Zookeeper," Wahlberg is waiting to get a greenlight for "Bunker Hill," the made-in-Charlestown TV pilot for TNT where he plays Mike Moriarty, a Boston cop determined to protect the streets he grew up on from crime and corruption.

The Dorchester native adds, "Here is the beauty of going 24 hours a day--a movie, a TV series, exec producing Jimmy Marsh, making more music w/ The Block. NO SWEAT!"

Click here for the latest on "The Zookeeper."

Interview with the cast of 'Growns Ups' in Essex

In the video below, Entertainment Tonight interviews the cast of Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups" flick on set at Centennial Grove located at 30 Martin St. in Essex.

The film's stars including Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade serve up some insider info about the made-in-Massachusetts movie including that the cast signed on before the script was completely hashed out and Sandler thought making the film would be a fun way to reunite with his pals from his "SNL" days.

"I was excited to hang out with the fellas and to have a guarantee whole summer together. The fact it was about going to a lake house, I knew it would be fun," Sandler spills. "We all brought our families and are hangin' and having a good time."

Meanwhile, "Grown Ups" crews are building an elaborate set on the "neck" in Marblehead located at a private residence located at 100 Harbor Avenue.

For the next few weeks, set designers will be busy constructing a facade outside of the French-Spanish colonial-style house for a scene scheduled to film on Thursday, Aug. 6 and Friday, Aug. 7. Tents will be set up at Riverhead Beach as well as the parking lot at Marblehead High School.

Click here for the latest on "Grown Ups."

--Photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo

Jon Hamm joins 'The Town' cast with Ben Affleck

Jon Hamm, known for his work in "Mad Men" and the upcoming Allen Ginsberg biopic "Howl," has reportedly signed on to play alongside Cambridge homeboy Ben Affleck in the upcoming made-in-Boston heist flick "The Town."

Hamm, also known as Don Draper to die-hard "Mad Men" enthusiasts, has signed on as a FBI agent who becomes smitten with a female bank employee, played by "Frost/Nixon" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" actress Rebecca Hall.

Affleck, playing Boston's most wanted bank robber, will star and direct in the film following a bizarre love triangle involving a crook, a bankteller and a FBI agent.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Affleck's character will be robbing a few banks around town, including a shoot 'em up scene at a bank in Melrose, as well as orchestrating the ultimate con job at Fenway Park sometime in September.

Affleck, who recently wrapped filming the John Wells downsizing drama "The Company Men," is already scouting locations for the Charlestown-based flick "The Town," an adaptation of the blue-collar heist novel "Prince of Thieves" by Chuck Hogan which was written for the big screen by Peter Craig and Affleck.

As previously reported, Affleck was "walking around the streets in the North End (Hanover, Salem, Cooper, etc), scouting possible shooting sites for his film."

Click here for the latest on Ben Affleck's "The Town."

Food Network's Fieri tapes segment at Mr. Bartley's

Guy Fieri, the host of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," pulled up in his infamous red 1967 Chevy Camaro Super Sport and filmed a segment for his show at Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage located at 1246 Massachusetts Ave. in Harvard Square on Monday, July 27.

After the taping, Fieri, sporting his trademark blonde spikey hair and wearing a black bowling shirt and silver sunglasses, posed for a few photos with fans before zipping off toward Bow Street around 7 p.m.

Mr. Bartley's co-owner, Billy Bartley, tells the crowds waiting in line after taping the segment with Fieri: "This is a huge day for us, but it's back to business."

It's been a tumultuous year for the Harvard Square staple that has been serving up political slander and pop-culture worship along with its killer burgers since 1960.

A grease fire on Saturday, Sept. 20 forced the owners to close down shop for the first time in almost 50 years.The iconic Mass. Ave restaurant caught on fire after a buildup of grease in the grill's hood became combustible.

Bartley's is famous for spotlighting B-list celebs and politicos with tasty burgers named after folks like Dick "a heart beat away" Cheney, Arnold "this is no girly burger" Schwarzenegger and Al "they all lie" Franken.

Fieri taped a segment earlier in the day at Sam LaGrassa's, located at 44 Province St. in the Financial District, spotlighting the hot spot's killer selection of sandwiches and tasty lunchtime grub.

Click here for Mr. Bartley's Web site.

--Photos by Loaded Gun Boston

Did Cameron Diaz open 'The Box' at Comic-Con?

Richard Kelly, the filmmaker behind the cult hit "Donnie Darko," unveiled a new trailer for his made-in-Massachusetts flick "The Box" at a star-studded Comic-Con panel discussion in San Diego on Friday, July 24.

Cameron Diaz, who stars alongside James Marsden, shared the stage with Kelly and reportedly spilled an important plot point to the masses. Of course, it was an off-the-cuff statement that may have been taken completely out of context.

Spoiler? Perhaps.

"The Box" follows a suburban couple with a young child who receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences.

A mysterious stranger, played by Frank Langella, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world ... someone they don't know.

Local filming locations for "The Box" include the Boston Public Library, Castle Hill in Ipswich and South Boston. The release date has been moved to Friday, Oct. 30 to coincide with Halloween.

Meanwhile, the film's poster continues to generate buzz online. Similar to the promos for "The Surrogates" and "Shutter Island," Diaz is working the "something wicked this way comes" glare that seems to be all the rage among film protagonists featured on posters.

Kelly comments on the poster via his MySpace blog here: "I think the poster captures the suspense and conflict in the film, and at the same time has a bit of a classic Hitchcockian vibe to it."

Lucky for us, Diaz is slotted to make a return trip to Boston to film the spy flick "Wichita" with A-lister Tom Cruise in September.

Click here for the latest on "The Box."

'Surrogates' and 'Shutter Island' posters unveiled

Posters for two made-in-Massachusetts flicks, "The Surrogates" and "Shutter Island," recently hit the Web to promote their theatrical release dates slotted for the fall. Both feature big-name stars, Bruce Willis and Leonardo DiCaprio respectively, in an ominous pose coupled with clever teaser copy.

With "The Surrogates" poster, Willis boasts a 'stache, multiple robotic clones of himself and a "what the heck?" scowl we've seen before in "Twelve Monkeys" and "The Sixth Sense."

An adaptation of Rob Venditti and Brett Weldele's graphic novel, "The Surrogates" is a sci-fi flick set in the near future where humans interact with one another via synthetic stand-ins. In the film, Willis plays a detective who tracks down a series of surrogate serial killings.

Scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, Sept. 25, the movie's one-liner: "How do you save humanity when the only thing that's real is you?"

With the "Shutter Island" promo, DiCaprio is holding a lit match juxtaposed with the fictional namesake island peering in the horizon. Like Willis, he's working the piercing "something wicked this way comes" glare that seems to be all the rage among film protagonists featured on posters.

In the movie slotted for release on Friday, Oct. 2, two U.S. marshals (DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane to an eponymous Boston-area island in 1954. During the investigation, they encounter a web of lies, a hurricane and a deadly inmate riot that leaves them trapped on the island.

The poster's tagline: "Someone is missing."

Click here for the latest on "The Surrogates" and here for the latest on "Shutter Island."

QUIZ: Can you name this made-in-Boston movie?

One lucky reader can snag two lovely prizes from our friends at racksandstands.com and tvstands.com, known for their amazing entertainment centers, with our movie quiz giveaway below.

The following quote is from a locally shot flick currently in theaters:

"Andrew and I were about to celebrate our first anniversary together and I knew that he'd been itching to ask me to marry him and he was scared, like a little tiny bird. So, I started leaving him little hints here and there because I knew he wouldn't have the guts to ask."

Want more clues?

A large portion of the film was shot in Rockport in April 2008, where the downtown area was transformed to look like Sitka, Alaska. In fact, set designers lined the area with large totem poles in Dock Square to mimic the frigid locale.

Other filming locations include 225 Franklin Street, Bearskin Neck in Rockport, the Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton as well as scenes in Gloucester.

Can you name this made-in-Massachusetts flick?

Inspired by the mystery film's protagonist played by Sandra Bullock and her obsession with gadgets, the winner will receive a RCA 6-device universal remote (RCA1011) and LongoLines remote control holder (YS1035) at racksandstands.com and tvstands.com. The winner will be announced in the next issue of Loaded Gun Insider.

Figured out the mystery flick? Simply register for Loaded Gun’s bi-weekly newsletter. The sign-up widget is located on the right-side navigation. Once you type in your e-mail address, you’ll be prompted to enter the mystery made-in-Boston movie.

Already a Loaded Gun Insider reader? Simply "reply" to the newsletter with the correct answer.

Click here for more details. Also, click here for the contest rules and disclaimer.

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"I got lost. I felt suffocated, miserable and gross. I should never have gone down that route or got sucked in to all the publicity."

--Homeboy Ben Affleck, gearing for his upcoming made-in-Boston film "The Town," confesses that his former high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez was detrimental to his career.

"The exhibit will give our visitors--wizards and Muggles alike--the opportunity to step into the world of Harry Potter."

--Ioannis Miaoulis, president and director of the Museum of Science, announces that "Harry Potter: The Exhibition" will take the Hogwarts Express to Boston on Oct. 25.

"Someone is missing."

--Tagline from the first official poster promo-ing Martin Scorsese's made-in-Massachusetts flick "Shutter Island," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as two U.S. marshals investigating the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane.

“The plot of the ‘Shutter Island’ film lends itself very well to a hidden object casual video game."

--John Kavanagh, senior vice president of video games for Paramount Digital Entertainment. says their new game based on "Shutter Island," slotted for release in October, will consist of 7 levels and 20 environments.

"What the hell are you doing?"

--Amy Adams, co-starring alongside Dorchester native Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in the made-in-Lowell flick "The Fighter," responds to an overzealous fan who approached her trailer last Thursday.

"The only downside to all of this Hollywood action is the ebb after your first 30 minutes, with excitement dropping down to the level of watching paint dry."

--Brendan Lewis, a Tri-Town Transcript columnist and hopeful actor, spills about the realities of being an extra on the made-in-Topsfield film "Furry Vengeance" with Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields.

Sign Game: Can you name this locally shot flick?

Above is the yellow production "FVP" sign heralding this currently-in-production film following a real estate developer who faces an unlikely group of protesters: a crew of local woodland creatures who don't want their homes disturbed.

Base camp and parking for extras is currently at the Topsfield Fairgrounds located at 207 Boston St. However, filming on Tuesday, July 21 was set in a small, wooded housing development chock full of big digs and new construction known as the Hickory Beech subdivision on High Street.

Can you name this made-in-Topsfield flick?

--Photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo

Behind-the-scenes video of 'Grown Ups' set in Essex

Two young fans captured some behind-the-scenes action on the "Grown Ups" set at the Chebacco Lake location in Essex. The duo captured several of the flick's stars including Adam Sandler and Kevin James shooting a scene on a make-shift barge near Centennial Grove located at 30 Martin St.

While the footage is a bit shaky, they did mention that they spotted actor Rob Schneider taking a leak in a bush on set. Hilarious.

For the record, Sandler is taking a brief hiatus this week from filming to jet over to La-La Land for the premiere of his new flick “Funny People.”

Meanwhile, "Grown Ups" crews are building an elaborate set on the "neck" in Marblehead located at a private residence located at 100 Harbor Avenue.

For the next few weeks, set designers will be busy constructing a facade outside of the French-Spanish colonial-style house for a scene scheduled to film on Tuesday, Aug. 18 and Wednesday, Aug. 19. Tents will be set up at Riverhead Beach as well as the parking lot at Marblehead High School.

Click here for the latest on "Grown Ups."

--Photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo

'The Zookeeper' filming at the Franklin Park Zoo

Preliminary filming for the made-in-Boston flick "The Zookeeper" starring Kevin James and Rosario Dawson kicked off Monday, July 20 at the park's elaborate mini-zoo set near the Giraffe Entrance of the Franklin Park Zoo located at 1 Franklin Park Rd. Primary filming with the cast is slotted for mid August.

Slotted to film during regular park hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next few weeks, "The Zookeeper" set resembled a Hollywood-style movie lot swarming with production staff on golf carts and lighting rigs peering behind off-limits structures built for filming purposes only.

In "The Zookeeper," James plays a zoo caretaker who consults with the animals in an attempt to learn their methods of dating and mating to help him win back the woman of his dreams.

John Linehan, president and CEO of Zoo New England admits in a statement here that they decided to postpone the opening of its new, free-flight budgie aviary in order to accommodate "The Zookeeper" filming.

“All of the improvements we’ve made to Franklin Park Zoo in the past few years have drawn the attention of people and businesses throughout New England, and now Hollywood as well," he says here, unveiling a new map of the zoo with the film set highlighted in purple (see below). "The selection of Massachusetts as a place for this movie filming is going to be a huge economic stimulus for the state, which is one of the biggest reasons we made this opportunity a priority."

Linehan continues, "Not only will it give Franklin Park Zoo a national reputation, but it will have a tremendous impact in terms of job creation in the Boston area as well as enhance our contribution to the very important tourism industry.”

Production crews plan to shell out major money to spruce up the Franklin Park Zoo, with renovations and landscaping scheduled to benefit the non-profit zoo for an extended period even after the production is done.

Click here for the latest on "The Zookeeper."

Amy Adams' close encounter on 'The Fighter' set

Amy Adams, co-starring alongside Dorchester native Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in the made-in-Massachusetts flick "The Fighter," reportedly had a close call with an overzealous fan last Thursday night while on set at the Paul Tsongas Arena located at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Lowell.

According to RadarOnline.com, Adams was approached by a guy in his late teens, early 20s climbing the steps outside of her trailer who claimed to be looking for his cousin.

The site continues, “Amy, who was fully dressed and was with a production worker, yelled out: ‘What the hell are you doing?’ and the guy quickly climbed down the stairs before running off.”

Watertown native Eliza Dushku described a similar incident via Twitter while filming the psychological thriller "Valediction."

Apparently, security has been tightened after the incident. Adams, wearing an '80s-inspired black dress, stepped in the ring as Charlene, a gritty bartender from Massachusetts who ends up dating Wahlberg's character, "Irish" Micky Ward. Adams joins veteran actress Melissa Leo playing Bale and Wahlberg's mother, Alice.

Filming continued on Friday with a "weigh in" featuring Wahlberg as Ward and a press conference with Bale as his brother.

Click here for the latest on "The Fighter."

Creepy 'Shutter Island' promos surface online

While Martin Scorsese's made-in-Massachusetts film "Shutter Island" isn't slotted to hit theaters until Friday, Oct. 2, film enthusiasts are getting a sneak peek with the official one-sheet hitting the Internet.

The promo is an ominous red-and-black image featuring the fictional namesake island peering in the horizon coupled with the fortuitous Boston Harbor lighthouse alluding to the film's dramatic ending.

Also, the studio unveiled the flick's official Web site here. It's a basic, less-is-more design showcasing the creepy trailer released a few weeks back.

In Martin's Scorsese's "Shutter Island," two U.S. marshals (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane to an eponymous Boston-area island in 1954. During the investigation, they encounter a web of lies, a hurricane and a deadly inmate riot that leaves them trapped on the island.

Based on the epic novel "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane, the Boston-shot flick features DiCaprio, Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley and was shot in Taunton's Whittenton Mills Complex (recrafted as the horrific Nazi concentration camp Dachau) as well as the Medfield State Hospital and Peddocks Island. Other locales include Borderland State Park, Hyde Park and Wilson Mountain Reservation in Dedham.

Click here for the latest on "Shutter Island." Also, click here for the official site.

Ben Affleck's 'The Town' planning Fenway climax

Pre-production crews are hashing out an elaborate production schedule for Ben Affleck's upcoming made-in-Boston heist flick "The Town."

An inside source says actors in the film will be robbing a few banks around town, including a shoot 'em up scene at a bank in Melrose, as well as orchestrating the ultimate con job at Fenway Park sometime in September.

"Expect gun fire and a few cars exploding," the source says.

Affleck, who recently wrapped filming the John Wells downsizing drama "The Company Men," is already scouting locations for the Charlestown-based flick "The Town," an adaptation of the blue-collar heist novel "Prince of Thieves" by Chuck Hogan which was written for the big screen by Peter Craig.

As previously reported, Affleck was "walking around the streets in the North End (Hanover, Salem, Cooper, etc), scouting possible shooting sites for his film."

The homegrown talent will star and direct in the film following a bizarre love triangle involving a crook, a female bankteller and a FBI agent. The latest is that "Frost/Nixon" actress Rebecca Hall will play the female lead.

Graham King, producer of recently shot "Edge of Darkness" starring Mel Gibson, plans to make a return trip to the Hub with Affleck's "The Town."

Click here the latest on Ben Affleck's "The Town."

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"There are probably things that come through differently now that I'm older and hopefully wiser. I'm just trying to tell the story and be open to the moment."

--Anthony Rapp, returning to the role of Mark during the two-week run of "Rent" at the Colonial Theatre, says he's looking forward to reprise his part as the penniless filmmaker-turned-community builder in the touring show.

“It was one of the most intense experiences of my life. The interesting thing is that you’re working on a team, but nobody on your team wants you there and everybody is out to get everybody else.”

--Andy Husbands, chef/owner of Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel in the South End, says there was a lot of backstabbing while taping the reality show "Hell's Kitchen" slotted to air Fox at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. The chef plans to host viewing-party dinners at his restaurant for $49 a pop until his stint on the show is over.

"Matt wanted to do something that focused on his charity, One By One, which helps kids all over the world.”

--Doug Ellin, the executive producer of "Entourage," tells TV Guide Magazine that Matt Damon pokes fun of his do-good reputation during his cameo scheduled to air during the season finale of the HBO show.

"Congratulations, Brendan Fraser! Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

--A snarky blogger makes fun of actor Brendan Fraser's on-set beer gut during filming of the made-in-Topsfield family comedy "Furry Vengeance."

“You’ll definitely have a sense of the airport in the film."

--Scott Levine, the publicist for the made-in-Massachusetts flick "Furry Vengeance" starring Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields, says the scenes shot this week and continuing until Thursday, July 16 at the Beverly Municipal Airport will showcase the location including the Delta taxiway near Bradford Street.

Wahlberg, Bale are main event on 'The Fighter' set

So, what was the behind-the-scenes buzz today on the set of "The Fighter" during the big boxing scene in Lowell?

According to a Loaded Gun Boston spy who participated in the Be In A Movie crowd shot at the Paul Tsongas Arena located at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, chatter centered around actors Christian Bale and Dorchester homeboy Mark Wahlberg.

When asked about Bale's stunning weight loss to get in character as Dickie Eklund, "Irish" Micky Ward's then drug-addicted brother and trainer, the source says the photos seen here are no exaggeration. "Everyone on set today was noticing how thin he is," the spy confirms. "I guess that's why actors get the big bucks."

The source adds that Wahlberg, in contrast, also made a dramatic transformation to get into character. "Wahlberg is stacked," he says. "He doesn't have a six-pack ... it's more like an eight-pack."

"The Fighter" tells the story of Boston fighter Ward (Wahlberg) and how he was helped to the world lightweight championship by half-brother Eklund (Bale). Amy Adams is set to step in the ring as a gritty bartender from Massachusetts who ends up dating Wahlberg's character. Adams joins veteran actress Melissa Leo (spotted wearing retro '80s garb today) who is slotted to play Bale and Wahlberg's mother.

Production for the made-in-Massachusetts flick, indicated by yellow "GIX" signs, is slotted for two more days at the Lowell arena until Thursday, July 16.

Click here for the latest on "The Fighter."

--Sign photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo

Screening of documentary behind 'The Fighter' film

With the first day of production slotted for the Westford Regency hotel on Monday, July 13 and then heading to the Paul Tsongas Arena located at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Lowell beginning on Tuesday, July 14, Dorchester's Mark Wahlberg is back home to shoot "The Fighter."

Want the story behind the made-in-Massachusetts flick starring the Boston-bred actor as well as Christian Bale and Amy Adams?

Check out Keith Dorrington's 2001 documentary on Lowell boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his half-brother and trainer Dick Ecklund at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport's Market Square.

"Not Over Till The Count of 10," which was eventually turned into a short film, explores the legacy of the boxing brothers and serves as inspiration for "The Fighter" currently filming in Lowell.

The award-winning "Elegy for the Elswick Envoy" will also be shown. The "one-two punch" screening is a fundraiser for the 2009 Newburyport Documentary Film Festival. Tickets are $15.

Filmmaker Dorrington and partner Leslie Varrelman will participate in a Q&A session following the screening. The night will end with a private reception with complimentary pizza at Not Your Average Joe's at the Firehouse.

Click here for details.

Production heats up on Sandler's 'Grown Ups' set

Expect some fireworks this week on the set of Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups" flick at Centennial Grove located at 30 Martin St. in Essex.

In fact, a Loaded Gun Boston source says there will be a couple of night's worth of "oohs" and "aahs" in the works for the flick's Fourth of July scene slotted to film at the Chebacco Lake location this week.

As previously reported, crews gave a heads up last month warning of some post-holiday fireworks. The flyer indicates, "Please don't be alarmed if you see them at some point after the actual Fourth of July holiday is over, and be aware that fireworks may continue until late on some nights."

The film "Grown Ups" is a comedy about five high school friends who reunite with their families during the summer at a lake house after 30 years apart and stars Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Tim Meadows, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph.

Also, "Grown Ups" crews are building an elaborate set on the "neck" in Marblehead located at a private residence located at 100 Harbor Avenue. For the next few weeks, set designers will be busy constructing a facade outside of the French-Spanish colonial-style house for a scene scheduled to film on Thursday, Aug. 6 and Friday, Aug. 7. Tents will be set up at Riverhead Beach as well as the parking lot at Marblehead High School.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, a source says "Grown Ups" will splish-splash its way Monday, Aug. 10 to Monday, Aug. 17 at Water Wizz of Cape Cod, a family-themed fun park located at 3031 Cranberry Hwy. in East Wareham.

Click here for the latest on "Grown Ups."

--Photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo

Latest on 'The Zookeeper' set at Franklin Park Zoo

While set designers have spent weeks constructing an elaborate set within the Franklin Park Zoo for the upcoming Kevin James flick "The Zookeeper," popular video blogger Steve Garfield asks here: What's going to happen to all the movie set construction?

According to a Loaded Gun Boston source, filmmakers aren't sure exactly what will stay from the set which is, in essence, a mini zoo within the zoo. But for the most part, the structures are built for filming purposes only.

In other words, all of the cables and movie-set facades will be torn down after filming.

However, the source says that there are still many improvements being made. It will be the restoration that will mainly show the gentrification. Once all the filming is done and the equipment is gone, the zoo will look quite nice.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, the upcoming made-in-Massachusetts flick "The Zookeeper," starring Kevin James and Rosario Dawson, will film the majority of its scenes at Franklin Park Zoo located at 1 Franklin Park Rd. and the Stone Zoo in Stoneham.

In "The Zookeeper," James plays a zoo caretaker who consults with the animals in an attempt to learn their methods of dating and mating to help him win back the woman of his dreams.

Production crews plan to shell out major money to spruce up the Franklin Park Zoo, with renovations and landscaping slotted to benefit the non-profit zoo for an extended period even after the production is done.

James was spotted on Saturday, June 27 at Franklin Park Zoo with a crowd of people surveying the set. Filming is scheduled to kick off on Monday, July 20. Also, RPM Casting is still on the hunt for background extras.

Click here for the latest on "The Zookeeper."

UPDATE: The Globe reports here that the zoo may be in jeopardy as a result of the budget cuts imposed by Gov. Deval Patrick. The article suggests if the funding (cut from $6.5 million to $2.5 million) isn't restored, they'll run out of money by October and have to close their gates, which could be disastrous for the workers and animals at the park.

Casting bikini-clad ring card girls for 'The Fighter'

Have a killer bikini bod and want to step in the ring with Dorchester homeboy Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale? Boston Casting is on the hunt for women between 20 and 30 years old for the upcoming made-in-Lowell flick "The Fighter."

According to the casting call, actresses wanting to be ring card girls for the boxing scenes "must be comfortable wearing skimpy outfits" and be flexible ... they're talking schedule ... beginning Monday, July 13 for the week-long fight scene shoot. If interested, e-mail photos of yourself in a bathing suit to thefightercasting@gmail.com. Make sure to include your phone number and full name for consideration.

Also, organizers over at Be In A Movie are still looking to fill ring-side seats during a big fight scene scheduled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. from Tuesday, July 14 until Thursday, July 16. Production is slotted for three days at the Paul Tsongas Arena located at 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

According to the Web site here, anyone 16+ can sign up to throw their hat in the ring and score free grub, entertainment and a chance to win prizes during the day's activities.

"The Fighter," which is scheduled to film in Lowell beginning in next week, tells the story of Boston fighter "Irish" Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and how he was helped to the world lightweight championship by half-brother Dickie Eklund, played by Bale.

Click here for the latest on "The Fighter."

Brooke Shields joins 'Furry Vengeance' in Topsfield

In her first big-screen role after a 10 year hiatus, actress Brooke Shields has reportedly joined the cast of Brendan Fraser's "Furry Vengeance," a live-action movie about a real estate developer who faces an unlikely group of protesters: a crew of local woodland creatures who don't want their homes disturbed.

In the made-in-Topsfield comedy "Furry Vengeance," Shields is playing Tami Sanders, the wife of Fraser's character. It's her first movie role since the 1999 hip-hop drama "Black and White."

Dick Van Dyke, "The Hangover’s" Ken Jeong and Samantha Bee are all on board as co-stars.

Matt Prokop, an up-and-coming actor from "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," will play a city kid forced to move to rural Oregon with his father, whose efforts to build a housing development there are complicated by the feisty local wildlife. Newcomer Skyler Samuels has joined the cast as Amber, Prokop's romantic interest.

Filming is slotted this weekend at the Beverly Municipal Airport located at 46 L.P. Henderson Rd.

The flick is tentatively slated for a July 2010 release. Click here for the latest on "Furry Vengeance."

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"There are so may layers to these guys, and they're so interesting. So many people can relate to them. There are so many family dynamics."

--Keith Dorrington, filmmaker on the documentary "Not Over Till The Count of 10," says the real-life drama surrounding Lowell boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's career will translate into a powerful feature film. "The Fighter," starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams, is slotted to begin filming next week.

“We are essentially becoming co-producers with the Hollywood moguls."

--Peter D. Enrich, a Northeastern University law professor and former top official in the Dukakis administration, says Massachusetts may need to rethink its tax-incentive program for filmmakers.

“I just wanted a contemporary city that you could imagine Ben and Sarah living in. You’ll like the way you look.’’

--Susie Brooks-Smith, producer of the locally shot thriller "Valediction" with Ben Barnes, Eliza Dushku and Sarah Roemer, spills why she opted to film in Boston over Hungary.

"People respond to people from Boston. (They have) big personalities that are immediately recognizable as Northeasterners. Straight talkers are great; they don't hide what is on their mind. They are great to have in the cast because you don't have to wonder what they are thinking."

--"Real World" casting head Sasha Albert weighs in on why so many Boston-area personalities end up on reality shows.

Ben Affleck casting 'The Town' in Dorchester

Have a wicked good Boston accent? You're in luck. C.P. Casting is holding an open casting call for Ben Affleck's "The Town" from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, July 10 at Boston's Teacher's Union Hall located at 180 Mount Vernon St. in Dorchester.

Casting directors are looking for adults of all types--bad guys, neighborhood folks, cops, detectives, wives, girlfriends and mothers. But scouts are specifically looking for locals with Boston accents.

Affleck, who recently wrapped filming the John Wells downsizing drama "The Company Men," is already scouting locations for the Charlestown-based flick "The Town," an adaptation of the blue-collar heist novel "Prince of Thieves" by Chuck Hogan which was written for the big screen by Peter Craig.

As previously reported, Affleck was "walking around the streets in the North End (Hanover, Salem, Cooper, etc), scouting possible shooting sites for his film."

The homegrown talent will write, star and direct in the film following a bizarre love triangle involving a crook, a female bankteller and a FBI agent. The latest is that "Frost/Nixon" actress Rebecca Hall will play the female lead.

Graham King, producer of recently shot "Edge of Darkness" starring Mel Gibson, plans to make a return trip to the Hub with Affleck's "The Town."

Click here the latest on Ben Affleck's "The Town."

Tim Meadows joins Sandler's 'Grown Ups' cast

Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups," currently filming at Chebacco Lake and Centennial Grove located 30 Martin St. in Essex, has reportedly signed on "Saturday Night Live" alum Tim Meadows as a last-minute addition to the movie's growing party list.

Meadows joins the ultimate made-in-Massachusetts buddy flick and a rogue's gallery of former "SNL" players including Maya Rudolph, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Chris Rock, Norm Macdonald, Tim Herlihy and Colin Quinn.

As previously noted in Loaded Gun, "Grown Ups" is being poised as next summer's first blockbuster comedic flick--with the film's release date moved from March 12 to the more promising Friday, June 25 for its theatrical debut.

"Grown Ups," set in Connecticut during a Fourth of July weekend, is a comedy about five high school friends who reunite with their families during the summer at a lake house after 30 years apart.

Also, RPM Casting is still on the hunt for background extras for "Grown Ups" and the soon-to-be-shot Kevin James flick "The Zookeeper." Click here for the casting details.

And, click here for the latest on "Grown Ups."

Cruise's spy flick 'Wichita' planning Charles chase?

As production moves forward with "Wichita," the upcoming spy flick starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz set to film in Boston this September, the latest rumor is that crews are currently hashing out an elaborate water-based chase scene slotted to be shot on the Charles River and will involve closing down several landmarks along the way including a bridge or two.

If the rumor is true and the scene is approved, the chase sequence would top some of the more sophisticated scenes from Boston's film past.

For example, the opening sequence of the Kevin Spacey flick "21" follows young prodigy Ben Campbell (played by Jim Sturgess) making the trek across the Mass. Ave. Bridge to Cambridge and features breathtaking scenes of the Charles and a birds-eye view of the MIT campus and the quintessential overhead shot of several rowing crews on the Cambridge side of the river.

Helicopters filmed the bike scene which caused a traffic snarl after closing the entire Mass. Ave. Bridge on April 22, 2007.

In "Wichita," Cruise is reportedly teaming up with Diaz in the flick directed by James Mangold. The actor will play a secret agent who pops in and out of the life of a single woman, presumably played by Diaz.

Both Cruise and Diaz, teaming up together for the first time since "Vanilla Sky," reportedly have given a thumbs up to the final script, which recently underwent a rewrite by Scott Frank known for his work on "Minority Report."

"Wichita" will be the second made-in-Boston film for Diaz. The beauty stars as Norma Lewis in "The Box," slotted for release on Friday, Oct. 30. Directed by "Donnie Darko" filmmaker Richard Kelly, the thriller centers around a suburban couple with a young child who receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences.

Click here for the latest on "Wichita."

Leather District's South Street Diner in jeopardy

Boston's South Street Diner, a throwback to '50s-style eateries and a Leather District landmark, is rallying for support to combat an attempt from neighbors wanting to roll back the restaurant's hours and force them to close at 2 a.m.

On Tuesday, July 7 at 10 a.m., the owners of the South Street Diner will face a hearing at Boston City Hall's room 809a. Organizers are asking for supporters to sign a petition here.

If late-night dining isn't your thing, support South Street Diner for its Hollywood in the Hub street cred.

Originally built in the 1940s to accommodate workers in the Leather District, the South Street Diner, located at 178 Kneeland St. was featured in an earlier scene of "21." The classic diner set the stage for Kevin Spacey and his students as they discuss their gambling strategy before heading to Vegas.

Formerly known as the Blue Diner, other big-screen appearances include "HouseSitter" with Steve Martin in 1992, "Second Sight" in 1989 with John Larroquette and "Hiding Out" in 1987 with Jon Cryer.

While the diner hasn't had a lot of screen time since "21," it was a pivotal hot spot during the recent barrage of flicks that were shot on South Street in Boston, including "Ghost of Girlfriends Past" with Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner.

In the film, the Leather District was transformed to look like a Christmas wonderland in SoHo. In fact, set designers spent days putting up holiday decorations on lampposts, adding Christmas wreaths to shop doors and dropping fake snow on ground to simulate the season. There was even a larger-than-life Santa propped up near the South Street corner overlooking the makeshift set.

South Street Diner also served as a gathering spot during the week-long shoot for "The Surrogates," an upcoming sci-fi flick starring Bruce Willis. In the scene, offices were transformed into a futuristic salon called "Artiface" where the futuristic robots lined up for a makeover ... or better yet, a tune up. "The Surrogates" is scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, Sept. 25.

UPDATE: South Street Diner was given the green light as a 24-7 restaurant after supporters successfully convinced the city licensing board to keep the Leather District mainstay open.

--Scene from "21" shot at South Street Diner

Adam Sandler's 'Grown Ups' pushed to summer

Is Adam Sandler's made-in-Massachusetts movie "Grown Ups" being poised as next summer's first blockbuster comedic film?

The ultimate buddy flick, currently filming at Chebacco Lake and Centennial Grove located 30 Martin St. in Essex, has reportedly been moved from a March 12 release date to the more promising Friday, June 25 theatrical debut.

According to Variety here, the flick has the luxury of being the only film set for release the Friday before Fourth of July weekend in 2010. Other big-name releases like "Twilight: The Eclipse" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" are scheduled to open on Wednesday, June 30.

"Grown Ups," set in Connecticut during a Fourth of July weekend, is a comedy about five high school friends who reunite with their families during the summer at a lake house after 30 years apart and stars Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, a source says "Grown Ups" will splish-splash its way in August to Water Wizz of Cape Cod, a family-themed fun park located at 3031 Cranberry Hwy. in East Wareham.

Click here for the latest on "Grown Ups."

--Photo by Ryan Miner, Beantown Photo

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

“I lost my nerd virginity to Joss, for sure."

--Eliza Dushku, co-star in the made-in-Boston drama "Valediction," jokes that "Dollhouse" creator Joss Whedon first plucked her off a street corner in Watertown to play Faith in the “Buffy” series.

"The film tax credit has worked here in Massachusetts. It would be really foolish of us to put anything into the legislation that would hurt that effort."

--After fear that the spy flick "Wichita" starring Tom Cruise would move production to Georgia, Rep. Ronald Mariano of Quincy says it's a good thing that Beacon Hill lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick decided not to move forward to reduce the cost of the state's film tax credit by $20 million.

"Given how enthusiastic Boston-area fans are for sports and just their energy, I think they're going to make a great crowd for this film."

--Mary McNally, a spokesperson for BeInAMovie.com, says the group's efforts to recruit extras for the made-in-Lowell flick "The Fighter" should be a knockout.

“I think it’s cool that they’re doing Topsfield casting. It’s a community thing.”

--Patricia Jamison, a resident of Topsfield who escorted her daughter, Parker, to the casting call for Brendan Fraser's upcoming "Furry Vengeance," says she appreciates that filmmakers are scouting locally for talent.

Brendan Fraser's 'Furry Vengeance' filming in town

Brendan Fraser, known for his work in "The Mummy" series, is heading to the Boston area this month to film the family comedy called "Furry Vengeance," a movie about a real estate developer who faces an unlikely group of protesters: a crew of local woodland creatures who don't want their homes disturbed.

Boston Casting held an open casting call on Wednesday, July 1 at Proctor Elementary located at 60 Main Street in Topsfield. Also, scouts are on the hunt for a body double for Fraser. If you're a dead ringer for "The Mummy" star, send an e-mail and headshot to ashley@bostoncasting.com.

Matt Prokop, an up-and-coming actor from "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," will play a city kid forced to move to rural Oregon with his father, whose efforts to build a housing development there are complicated by the feisty local wildlife. Newcomer Skyler Samuels has joined the cast as Amber, Prokop's romantic interest.

Brooke Shields, Dick Van Dyke, "The Hangover’s" Ken Jeong and Samantha Bee are all on board as co-stars.

The flick is tentatively slated for a July 2010 release. Click here for the latest on "Furry Vengeance."

Trailer for Ricky Gervais's 'The Invention of Lying'

With a string of less-than-stellar Boston-crafted flicks hitting the big screen lately like "Bride Wars" and "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," the trailer for the made-in-Massachusetts film "The Invention of Lying" by "The Office" creator Ricky Gervais looks like it may raise the bar a few notches for locally shot comedic films.

Formerly titled "This Side of Truth,"the shot-in-Lowell comedy starring Tina Fey, Rob Lowe and Jennifer Garner is set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.

Slotted to hit theaters on Sept. 25, "The Invention of Lying" also had location shoots in Quincy, North Andover and Boston.