The filming of a Hollywood movie in Columbus is expected to disrupt the normal flow of life in downtown this week, but it’s also expected to give an economic boost to the area — and offer chances to see or even meet a celebrity.
Ed Wolverton, president of Uptown Columbus , which promotes downtown businesses, confirmed to the Ledger-Enquirer that the filming of an unspecified production announced on its Facebook page is a movie titled “ The Razor’s Edge ,” starring James Franco and Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones .
It is billed as an action thriller. IMDb , the Internet Movie Database, describes the plot this way: “A former mob hitman faces a dilemma when his daughter is kidnapped and his love interest targeted. He must take on a final dangerous job while evading a ruthless assassin.”
Due to filming, the intersection of 10 th Street and Bay Avenue, as well as the Splash Pad , are closed on Thursday. The parking lot at Banks Food Hall will be accessible from 11 th Street.
Filming will move to the 1000 block of Broadway on Friday and Saturday, from 1-8 p.m., both days.
“During those times, filming might be happening on some portions of the sidewalk near Judy Bugs ,” the post says.
Filming also will be done on Saturday at Scruffy Murphy’s , causing the pub to be closed until 7 p.m.
The film industry in Georgia
Co-producer Alexander Kane previously told the Ledger-Enquirer he plans to lure more film projects from the traditional Hollywood production cities of Los Angeles, New York and London to Georgia cities beyond Atlanta, such as Columbus.
The selling points: Georgia’s second-tier cities and smaller towns offer diversified settings, Southern hospitality and less expensive costs for productions.
Plus, with state and local financial incentives and a growing population of skilled film crew members, thanks to Georgia Film Academy centers at institutions such as Columbus State University , this city and others in the state have attracted significant productions .
Just in recent years, movies starring Hollywood actors Bruce Willis , John Travolta and Beau Bridges have been filmed in the Chattahoochee Valley as the Columbus Film Office and Flat Rock Studio work to make the Columbus area a production hub .
Wolverton said, that despite the temporary disruptions, filming movies in Columbus is an overall benefit to the economy.
“In most cases, we are able to work with the production team to minimize disruptions on the surrounding businesses or the property owners,” he said. “In other cases, though, from just a job standpoint, these crews, these productions, have a big group of people that are behind the cameras working to make each shot happen.
“And that oftentimes can be people local people. It can also be people that are just learning to get into the film business itself. And that it can range from electrical work, to construction work, to mic, microphone and video production. So all of those skills are used in these kinds of productions.”
Wolverton praised the film crews for being flexible to make their visit a win-win for the production and the businesses. For example, in 2022, when the Travolta movie “Cash Out” was filmed in Columbus , the production team wanted to close an entire block of Broadway. But the producers listened to Wolverton’s concerns and agreed on a compromise.
“They weren’t filming the whole time that day; they just wanted to control the environment,” he said. “. . . So we were able to work with that person and that crew to say, look, ‘When you are actually filming, we can stop the sidewalk and we can divert people elsewhere. But when you’re between shots, when you’re on breaks, let’s have the sidewalk open.’ And in that case, they were certainly willing to do that.”
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