The Marvel movie "Ant-Man," the first production to film at the huge new Pinewood Studios facility in Fayette County, is just about done. We got to visit last week for interviews with director Peyton Reed, star Paul Rudd and Atlanta's own T.I.
The movie, about a superhero who can shrink to ant size (with proportionate ant strength), also stars Michael Douglas, and it recently filmed some scenes in downtown Atlanta.
Studio protocol stipulates that journalists who are afforded access to the set and given time with the stars agree not to spill details until closer to the movie’s release. So we’ll have lots to tell you next summer, as the project is currently scheduled to hit theaters in July.
For now, we can safely say that Rudd feels right at home in Atlanta, where he filmed “Anchorman 2” and “Wanderlust” in recent years.
“I really love it here,” he said. “I’d rather shoot in Atlanta than in L.A.”
T.I. appreciated the convenience of having “Ant-Man” film close to home.
“To have a film studio like this in the city is awesome,” he said.
We got to tour the sprawling Pinewood campus, which has its very own Home Depot store on the property exclusively to serve the needs of projects filming there, peeked in several of the sets and learned a few secrets during our visit. But more on that later.
We can’t say much but we can tell you that Reed is the perfect guy to work on this movie. A comic book fan since childhood, he was able to direct with exacting attention to detail. He owns thousands of comic books but was a reader long before he was a collector.
“I’m really proud to be the first movie to shoot here,” Reed said of Pinewood. “This is the kind of movie I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. The experience has been amazing.”
Another baseball-themed movie to film in Atlanta
"The Phenom," starring Ethan Hawke and Paul Giamatti, is the latest baseball-themed movie to film in Atlanta. "Trouble With the Curve" and "42" also filmed here, while "The Change-Up" and "Parental Guidance" featured scenes filmed at area ballparks. "The Phenom" was scheduled to shoot a scene at the Gwinnett Braves stadium in Buford this week; we wouldn't be surprised to see it set up shop at Turner Field as well. Stay tuned.
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