Lights...camera....action!
The Drumheller area badlands are being thrust into the spotlight again for a major motion picture. Legendary Pictures is investigating the potential of Horseshoe Canyon being used in the opening shot of their new movie, The Seventh Son.
Mayor Terry Yemen and economic development officer, Bob Cromwell, spent some time with a crew from the production, showing them around our unique terrain.
“When they phoned me, the movie had already started filming. What they’re looking for is the opening shot of the movie,” said Cromwell. “That’s how the movie starts and it’s going to all be done in Horseshoe Canyon.”
The shot will be done using 24 hour time lapse filming using an IMAX camera. The footage will then be used in the opening scene in a display of magic, showing how the world has aged over the centuries.
The movie crew had scouted locations in British Columbia and Kananaskis and finished their trip by stopping in Drumheller.
“They phoned me from Spring Bank and let us know they were on their way. Mayor Yemen and I jumped into a truck and met them at the airport,” said Cromwell.
The crew consisted of the producers, directors, cinematographer, and more. Everyone hiked through the canyon when it was soaked from recent rains.
“It was the who’s-who. We were at the lookout point and they asked how to get down, so the mayor said we’d have to hike,” said Cromwell. “It had been raining all day, so the bentonite and mud was clinging to us. It was unbelievable. They were covered with so much gunk by the end of it.”
The movie is based on The Spook’s Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. The tale follows Tom Ward, a young teenager, as he is trained by the Spook to fight evil in a medieval setting.
The movie stars Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) as Tom and Jeff Bridges (True Grit, Tron Legacy, Iron Man) as the Spook. Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, and Kit Harington also star.
At the moment, Cromwell is working on the logistics of being able to use the land for filming. Considering the area is a provincial park, there are some requirements.
“If they get in and shoot, they know they are tasked with doing a full environmental reclamation,” said Cromwell.
The movie is yet another in a long list of films that have taken advantage of our unique terrain. The most famous beingUnforgiven and Superman. The last Hollywood movies to be filmed here were in 2004, though smaller productions, such as Remember by Airdrie based MovieMakers, have filmed here.
“There are quite a few movies where you can pick out shots filmed in Drumheller here and there, but to have an opening scene has quite an impact,” said Cromwell. “I was asking them what the spin off to the community could be. Once they know they have a place that is willing to work with them, it really helps.”
