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Posted on Thu, May 13, 2010 : 1:20 p.m.

Movie 'Salvation Boulevard' filming on U-M's campus

By Jenn McKee

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The feature film "Salvation Boulevard" is shooting at Rackham Auditorium today and is expected to continue filming around town over the next week.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

“Salvation Boulevard” — a feature film starring Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris and Jim Gaffigan — is shooting in Rackham Auditorium today and is expected to continue working around town for the next week.

At around noon, two actor stand-ins stood at podiums on Rackham’s stage, as if engaged in a debate, and a third sat at a table between them, while crew members set up lighting for the scene. Dozens of extras were herded into the auditorium — at which point I was escorted out.

Yes, “Salvation” has a closed set, so curious film fans and stargazers will be turned away at the door (though I did steal a quick glimpse of Gaffigan standing in Rackham’s lobby).

“Salvation,” which is also filming in the Detroit area, tells the story of a former Deadhead-turned-born-again-Christian who finds himself on the run from fundamentalist members of his mega-church. Its Internet Movie DataBase entry describes it as a comedy/thriller. The director is George Ratliff of "Joshua" and "Hell House."

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Trailers are lined up along Fletcher Street for the feature film "Salvation Boulevard" which is shooting at Rackham Auditorium today and is expected to continue filming around town over the next week.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

According to the City of Ann Arbor, to which film companies must apply for road closures, “Salvation”’s team also plans to shoot at U-M’s Law Quadrangle and a location on Fourth Street over the course of the next week. But the set will remain closed throughout the process — so we’ll all just have to gawk from afar.

"Salvation Boulevard" is the latest in a string of movies to shoot in our area, since the state introduced an incentive program for the movie industry.

If you see any movie actors in town, we'd love to hear about it — leave a comment below or email jennmckee@annarbor.com.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.

Comments

LA

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 4:05 p.m.

Friends and I just saw Greg Kinnear and Marisa Tome filming a scene on the front porch on William St. Right from our own parking lot at Argus 2. Then Kinnear came into the street and got into a van... he was just 20-25 feet away!! Fun!

dave

Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:17 p.m.

A really great site, that always has information about films being made is the website, www.beforethetrailer.com they have filming locations, set pics and videos. very cool site for those that are into films being made like salvation boulevard

Phil Dokas

Fri, May 14, 2010 : 2:11 p.m.

Brosnan swung by Arbor Brewing for lunch the other week. They snapped a shot of him with their brewer, Bill Gerds: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3874133&id=85225854762

James Dean

Fri, May 14, 2010 : 1:13 p.m.

Saw Jennifer Connelly in the Rackham lobby!