Spinoff of hit TV series brings filming to popular Surrey location
Hollywood North is staying busy this fall, and fans of The Rookie were treated to sights of the show’s spinoff filming in a major Surrey film location this week.
Parts of Cloverdale were transformed for the shoot of ABC’s The Rookie: North, with several storefronts altered and streets closed.
According to Paul Orazietti, executive director of the Cloverdale BIA, production companies are building relationships with the historic town and designated town centre of Surrey.
Paul Orazietti/Cloverdale BIA
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“Several have expressed a desire to return with future shows,” explained Orazietti. “Filming in Cloverdale has grown over the years since we were the home of Smallville twice.
“We are outgrowing our Western roots to be the more quintessential small North American town. And more importantly, fans of the various shows visit to see where different episodes were filmed.”
The Rookie: North began filming in Cloverdale on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 22 and extended past midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Photos provided by Orazietti and the Cloverdale BIA show a post office transformed into the Parkland Credit Union.
Another image shows a Pierce County Police Department vehicle with its door ajar near the intersection of 57 Avenue and 176A Street.
Paul Orazietti/Cloverdale BIA
It was announced earlier this year that The Rookie: North, the latest spinoff of the Nathan Fillion hit series, would film in Metro Vancouver starting on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
Star Jay Ellis also confirmed the news that the show was heading to pilot on his Instagram, thanking executive producers Alexi Hawley and Fillion for the opportunity.
The Rookie: North tells the tale of Alex Holland (Ellis), who joins the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie after experiencing a violent home invasion.
Vancouver and B.C. will be standing in for Washington State, which is the setting of the ABC pilot.
Orazietti shared that Cloverdale has had several productions film in the area this year, including Fire Country, Elle, Durango, and Nissan.
“We appreciate the value of the film industry,” he added. “Clearly you can see the economic impact of what they are spending locally when filming.”
The Cloversale BIA recently told Daily Hive that filming brings more revenue to Cloverdale’s Town Centre in one shoot than the Rodeo and Fairgrounds do all year round.
Paul Orazietti/Cloverdale BIA
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Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood was also taken over by filming this past weekend, and locals and visitors got an early blast of winter in the process.
Gastown was transformed into a holiday scene straight out of a Hallmark movie on Sunday night for a commercial shoot.
Passersby, residents, and workers in the neighbourhood stopped to see the action unfold on Water Street, with many shocked to see holiday decorations on trees and snow on the ground.