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Look for Sloatsburg to light up in January when the movie “Ben is Back” films in the village center

Posted on 09 January 2018 by Editor

Look for the movie “Ben is Back” to set up in Sloatsburg’s village center on Thursday, January 11 and 18. The film stars Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges and will use several locations in the Village.

Sloatsburg will see the spotlight shine near dark on Thursday, January 11, as the film Ben is Back starts shooting at the local Super Seven. Look for Julia Roberts to film a pivotal night scene for the independent production, which stars Roberts and Lucas Hedges. The movie was written by Hedges’ father, Peter Hedges, who also directs the film.

Ben is Back will continue shooting in Sloatsburg next Thursday, January 18, with Hayward’s Deli, the strip mall exterior and Haas Pharmacy cited as various locations scheduled for set ups.

Thursday’s movie shoot is a day work and night shoot, with location setup scheduled to take place around 4 p.m. The production has requested intermittent, controlled traffic release along Route 17 through the center village during the night shoot to control background sound and motion. With the production probably filming after sunset, drive time traffic through Sloatsburg may not need any stoppage. Look for signage along Route 17.

Location Manager Rob Striem said the Sloatsburg scene is pivotal to the movie. Striem discussed the movie during several Village Board meetings in November and December, where he requested permission for the intermittent traffic holds for Route 17 traffic at the Seven Lakes Drive light and the light at Municipal Plaza.

“Ben is Back” Location Manager Rob Striem discusses the Sloatsburg location shoot at a Village Board meeting. Striem has also been a part of Filmmaker Steven Soderberhg.

Striem said that the movie tackles the current national opioid crisis by laser focusing on the emotional distress of one upstate small town New York family during a 24 hour period on Christmas Eve. Lucas Hedges portrays Ben, a young athlete who suffers an injury and then falls into a prescription drug addiction that tears his family apart.

Julia Roberts plays his mother Holly, who fights to bring him back from his drug addiction. Courtney B. Vance plays Roberts’ husband, Mr. Burns.

The Sloatsburg Super Seven scene is slated as one of the emotional epiphanies of the film. Striem said that the hope is with Julia Roberts in the lead role, the Peter Hedges film will be able to highlight the opioid crisis in a visible and visceral way.

Ben is Back has been shooting around New York’s Hudson Valley, including parts of Westchester. The production is set to shoot later in the month at The Farm along Johnsontown Road — scene of a number of movie and television shoots in the last few years.

 

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