Disney+ Will Be Shooting Halloween-Themed Movie On Norwood Town Common

NORWOOD, MA - Norwood's Town Common will be the centerpiece of a new Disney+ Halloween-themed movie that will be shot in Norwood Center throughout the month of August.

In an exclusive interview with Patch Tuesday afternoon before the Board of Selectmen meeting, Tony Mazzucco, the town's general manager confirmed that Dragon Force Productions will be filming a Halloween-themed children's movie, using the Town Common as the focal point, as well as the Norwood Theatre and local businesses.

"The town of Norwood will really be the backdrop for the movie," Mazzucco explained. "They will also be using two parking lots and Central Street, which has already been blocked off for the summer for community use."

He added that one of the main characters in the film will be living in a Norwood house as part of the plot. The house is located on Wheelock Avenue.

This is the same movie that will be filming on two Dedham streets this summer for several days, Mazzucco noted. But while Dedham will steal a couple of scenes, he boasted that Norwood will be the heart of the production.

This will disrupt traditional summer activities on the common, including two separate concert series held on Sundays and Wednesdays, respectively. Mazzucco is working to relocate them to the lawn at Town Hall, he said.

Mazzucco also acknowledged that there will be some traffic rerouting during the production, as the Town Common faces Washington Street, the main thoroughfare. It will also involve Nahatan Street, the town's other central street for a few hours at a time. But he has been working with the town's police and fire departments to have a strategy in place.

"Obviously there will be some sense of loss as the common is being used for a month," Mazzucco noted. "But the potential commercial aspect for Norwood is huge. And it will be cool for kids now to say years later that they grew up in this space. We look forward to making this work, and we want it to have worldwide success for Disney."

He noted that Norwood may become a Halloween tourist attraction once the film is released. Norwood eateries have been approached to be included in the film.

"'The Goonies' was filmed in Oregon," Mazzucco said. "And people enjoy going there to eat and have a drink at the places where the characters dined, especially around the movie's anniversary. Norwood is a long way off from that right now, but I can see that happening here."

At the Board of Selectmen meeting later Tuesday evening, Kyle "Snappy" Oliver, the location manager for the Buena Vista, California-based company, described the movie's plot without giving away too many details.

"It's kind of a fun, spooky Halloween-themed movie for kids," Oliver explained. "Magic happens on Halloween, and things go awry."

The protagonists will try to "put the magic back in the bottle, so to speak."

"We would actually like to have our town in the movie be the town of Norwood," Oliver stressed, noting that it stood out among 30 Massachusetts communities because it was originally formed around a town common.

"The only problem with that is that we might end up starting an urban legend for you," he added. "Maybe you'll have a little rivalry with Salem."

There will be 14 days of shooting, with five taking place inside the Norwood Theatre. Transforming the common into a Halloween wonderland will also take time.

Norwood is noted for its historic mansions, including the Day House. Oliver said that the film's original plan included a film shoot in the Day House. Since that didn't work out in the final script version, some shooting will take place on Day Street around it.

Money derived from the venture will be used to maintain Central Street as almost an extension of the common rather than returning it to vehicular use, Mazzucco said.

Selectman Matt Lane raised a question about overnight film shoots and the noise from generators. Oliver said that night filming primarily will be away from residential areas, and neighbors will be consulted ahead of time.

Selectman Helen Abdallah Donahue noted that the carillon in Town Hall is only one of three in the country and might be something to incorporate into the plot.

The crew will have about 100 people on the Town Common, with up to 140 "background extras," mainly children. They will have lunch in tents in the town lot and will also gather in the theater.

The only issue that came up is that a wedding previously had been scheduled on the common during that time. Oliver said he will work with the couple to find a suitable alternative.

The town also was in the limelight earlier this week, as the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra performed a special Sunday concert on the Town Common in honor of Norwood's 150th anniversary year. This event was more than two decades in the making, as town leaders long hoped to attract the Pops and the sponsors to fund the appearance.

After the massive flooding of Norwood Hospital two years ago to this day, the town is experiencing a renaissance. Plans for the hospital's reconstruction were released earlier this month as the demolition crews began to take down the old structure, which will make it the first newly constructed state-of-the-art medical facility in the state in about three decades. Moderna's expansion in Norwood for its worldwide headquarters is another boon to the community.