We may not have the Iron Throne, but Squamish lays claim to its granite giant.
And it’s that unique scenery that is helping it land screen time. This week, the A&E Network started filming its straight-to-series television show “The Returned.” A cemetery popped up in Brackendale; along Cleveland Avenue storefronts grew old-school rooftops and the Squamish dike saw some redneck-style buggy racing zipping along the gravel road. Slowly, the walking dead are taking over our beloved town.
Yet the place has never felt so alive.
So far this year, 16 productions have shot in Squamish. Five more are on deck for the upcoming months. At this rate the community is en route to surpass last year’s production count of 26 — which happened to be a 15 per cent increase over 2012.
“The Returned” promises to be one of the larger-scale shoots, with filming taking place over approximately four months. If the series resembles anything like the original French drama “Les Revenants,” it will be hair-raising enough to grip viewers throughout North America. It’s spooky in that classic European way — subtle, with attention to detail that doesn’t throw the plot in your face.
The story revolves around a small mountain community in which residents that were once presumed dead return home. And if that’s not creepy enough, some of them are children — kids in the dark always give rise to goose bumps.
With pilot season in full swing, Squamish is one busy place, the District of Squamish’s film and events manager Devon Guest told the Squamish Chief last week. Municipal staff members are fielding three to four filming inquiries a week. And along with the actors’ trailers and food trucks to keep the hungry crews happy comes money. In 2012, district officials estimated the filming industry pumped approximately $1.5 million in the community.
Beyond the cash, the filming brews excitement in town and lets residents view their own community through a new lens. And unlike productions in the past, this one seems to have communicated and smoothed over wrinkles cause by filming with the downtown business community.
And who knows? Maybe “The Returned” will be the next “Game of Thrones,” enthralling 18.4 million viewers worldwide. But even if it doesn’t take off, the Stawamus Chief will still summon film crews to its base. It’s our Needle, our dragon, our Iron Throne. Filming is coming.
