The Hudson Valley’s Million-Dollar Film Industry is Coming Back to Life
What upcoming films to look out for in the Hudson Valley
The upcoming film Severeance will be filmed right in Beacon. New York. Source: Creative Commons: “Beacon, New York” by Dougtone
The Hudson Valley is home to many small businesses, local eateries, galleries, vacation spots and small towns, many of which have been featured in many blockbuster movies and hit shows. There have been 146 films shot in Poughkeepsie alone.
Due to the amazing scenery the Hudson Valley holds, towns like Beacon, New Paltz, and Pawling are all location sites for the movie “A Quiet Place” which was released in 2018. In Beacon, not far from Marist, you can even visit some of the sites such as the Beacon Natural Market, which made an appearance in the 2018 hit film.
BlacKkKlansman, another 2018 film, features many scenes that were shot in Ossining. It might be hard to imagine that such small towns play such a big role in major movies, yet many directors find the Hudson Valley to be a great place to film. According to the Hudson Valley Lodging, “The Hudson Valley appeals to film crews and writers because it’s a blend of architecture ranging from small-town Norman Rockwell houses to historic mansions, with a mix of small cities, river townships, rural country living to luxury estates it offers a broad appeal.”
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many productions had to be cancelled or put on hold. As a result of this, the Hudson Valley felt the loss of the film industry. The film industry alone has given “more than $250 million” to the Hudson Valley economy, The New York Times reported. Last year before the pandemic halted everything, the region saw a profit of $46 million.
This money helps to keep many of these small towns running. It goes to local schools, improvement of town infrastructure, hotels and even local businesses. While the Hudson Valley suffered a devastating loss, production has begun picking up again.
Upcoming films like “Severance,” a new Apple TV series directed by Ben Stiller recently shot in Beacon.
“The White House Plumbers” is an HBO film which covers a White House investigation unit whose members ended up getting involved in illegal business such as the infamous Watergate Scandal. This film will star Woody Harrelson and scenes will be shot in the region in May, with Poughkeepsie being one of the main location sites.
The Hudson Valley film industry is surely but slowly coming back to life, and new and exciting projects are on the way.