Christmas Movie to Be Filmed in Norcross

Norcross may have just had a dose of Hollywood last month with the but the city is getting its second helping next week.

A production company is coming to Historic Downtown Norcross to film the opening scene of a Christmas movie, which is expected to release this holiday season, according to the city of Norcross website.

The movie is about modern-day parents dealing with the age-old stresses of kids and Christmas, continues the website. The scene in Norcross will be shot specifically in and around Norcross Station Cafe: A long line of parents and kids will stretch along the sidewalk in front of the restaurant while waiting to get inside and visit Santa.

Transforming downtown into a winter wonderland will start Saturday (April 20) for the exterior set construction, and it will resume the following Tuesday. Crews could arrive as early as 4:30 a.m. Wednesday (April 24) to begin shooting, and filming is only expected to last that day.

Everything should wrap up by 7 p.m., but depending on weather and other conditions, filming in Norcross could take longer and may continue on Thursday, according to the production team's location manager Kai Thorup.

Stores and restaurants throughout downtown will remain open during regular business hours, and the streets will remain open to through traffic except during the actual shooting.

"Actual shooting will only take up 10 to 15 minutes of every hour we're working on Wednesday," Thorup explained. "The rest of the time, it'll be getting ready for the next scene. After about 12 hours of shooting, we'll have about 10 minutes of footage when it's all edited together."

Off-duty Norcross Police officers will be on hand to control any traffic and parking issues, and to keep traffic moving smoothly through the downtown area.

Parking spaces along the stone wall in front of the Depot will be blocked off for film trucks and crew on Tuesday and Wednesday, and in addition on Wednesday, the gravel parking area in front of The Shops of Antique Traditions will be blocked off all day for the same purposes. Visitors, merchants and employees are encouraged to park in public lots near Norcross City Hall, along Wingo Street and behind Paizanos.

"We have about 140 extras for this scene, and anyone who is shopping downtown or going to a restaurant might end up being in the movie if you're on the sidewalk opposite the set," Thorup continued. "We're definitely respectful of the fact that local businesses are open and need to stay open during this timeframe. Plus, having people going about their business in the background helps it look like a thriving downtown main street, which it is! That's one reason we selected Norcross to do this scene."

For more information, check out the city of Norcross website.

See also:

• Production Company to Film TV Pilot in Norcross
• First Day Photos of Filming 'The Returned' in Downtown Norcross

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