The ideas of US actor-director Ben Stiller on how Icelandic seaside villages may serve as locations for his new film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, have been discussed in district councils in the past days.
The Stykkishólmur marina. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland, is to appear to be a ghost town, the appearance of the town hall of Stykkishólmur, West Iceland, is to be changed, a ship is to dock at Garður, Southwest Iceland, and the bakery Geirsbakarí in Borgarnes, West Iceland, to close for a few days, ruv.is reports.
The project is different from other foreign films that have been shot in Iceland recently in that part of it is supposed to take place in the country.
Financial director of Seyðisfjörður Daníel Björnsson said during the one day of shooting, all traffic will be banned in the center of town and signposts will be removed.
A crew of 200 people on 25 trucks is expected to crowd the town of fewer than 700 people. Filming will also take place on the nearby heath Fjarðarheiði.
Mayor of Stykkishólmur Gyða Steinsdóttir said it hasn’t been confirmed when and whether shooting will take place in the town but Stiller and his crew are welcome.
Townspeople are prepared to temporarily alter the appearance of several buildings in town, including the town hall, to suit the storyline, and remove lampposts.
Mayor of Garður Magnús Stefánsson informed the town council that as part of the filming, a ship will be placed by the crew in the local harbor and it will remain there for approximately one week.
A number of Icelanders will work on the project, which will be the most extensive foreign film project in the country this year.
Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will play a major role in the movie.
Click here to read about the crew of Noah’s time in Iceland, for which shooting has just finished.
ESA
