NEW: “The Santa Files” Starring Ed Asner Filming in Rhode Island

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

 

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Ed Asner will start in a new movie being shot in Rhode Island. (Photo: Wikipedia).

The Rhode Island Film & TV office announced Tuesday that "The Santa Files," starring Golden Globe winner Ed Asner (“Lou Grant," “The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Roots”), will be filmed in Rhode Island in April. 

Local film director and New England Tech graduate, Tom DeNucci, along with Woodhaven Media, will be shooting the upcoming family film. According to the film office, the holiday themed movie stars Asner "as the iconic and elusive character."

“I’ve always been fascinated by Christmas movies.  We watch them year after year and they never get old.  They’re deeply connected to our memories and that fun holiday feeling we get each December," said DeNucci. "Making 'The Santa Files' here in Rhode Island provides a great opportunity to share a story in a family genre I’ve always wanted to explore while continuing a special filmmaking tradition.” 

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About the Movie

Brown University graduate Sam Eilertsen is the cinematographer and David Gere is the producer of the screenplay by Kevin Decristifano and DeNucci.

According to the film office:

The joyful story revolves around a young boy, played by actor, Jack Brunalt, and his band of friends who, despite ridicule from their peers, vow to prove that Santa is real and subsequently, bring the holiday spirit back to their cynical town.  
 
Patrick Muldoon (“Starship Troopers," “Melrose Place”) and Brooke Langton (“Swingers," “The Replacements”) co-star along with pro-wrestling greats Tommy Dreamer, Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis. Lindsey Blanchard, Max Harris and Jalon Christian play the kids determined to find St. Nick.

“This is exactly the result we’ve all been working towards for the past few years.  A new generation of Rhode Island filmmakers has sprouted as the result of the seeds we planted together as a state," said Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office.

"We love seeing our local moviemakers thrive and prosper. We congratulate Woodhaven director/producer Tom DeNucci for providing many jobs for our hard-working, local crew behind-the-scenes while also giving our gifted Rhode Island actors a chance to shine in front of the camera on this family film.”

 

Related Slideshow: 25 Movies Filmed in Rhode Island

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Prev Next

Moonrise Kingdom

2012

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray Frances McDormand

This Oscar nominated film features many local landmarks including Fort Wetherill State Park, Bayfield Farm, and the Conanicut Lighthouse.

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Mr. North

1988

Director: Danny Huston

Cast: Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall

Shot in Newport, this comedy-drama features Anthony Edwards as a con man attempting to break into the 1920s Newport social scene. 

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There's Something About Mary

1998

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller

Filmed partly in Providence, this movie was the highest-grossing comedy in 1998. 

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Federal Hill

1994

Director: Michael Corrente

Cast: Nicholas Turturro, Anthony DeSando, Libby Langdon

Set in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood, the movie marks the directorial debut of Pawtucket native Michael Corrente.

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Age of Innocence

1993

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder

This Oscar winning drama was partly filmed in Portsmouth.  

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True Lies

1994

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold

The ballroom scenes in the movie were filmed at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.

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High Society

1956

Director: Charles Walters

Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

Nominated for two Academy Awards, the movie's opening shot features a flyover of Newport’s oceanfront mansions. 

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Thirteen Days

2000

Director: Roger Donaldson

Cast: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Steven Culp

This docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis was partly shot in Newport. 

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Little Children

2006

Director: Todd Field

Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley

Shot partly in Providence, this critically acclaimed drama received three Academy Award nominations, including a Best Lead Actress nod for Kate Winslet.

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RIPD

2013 

Director: Peter M. Lenkov

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon

A car chase for this action-comedy was filmed in downtown Providence.

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Amistad

1997

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Dijimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey

Shot at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport and the State House in Providence, this drama received four Academy Award nominations in 1998. 

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Outside Providence

1999

Director: Michael Corrente

Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Alec Baldwin

Filmed in multiple locations throughout Rhode Island, this movie is an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.

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Me, Myself & Irene

2000

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins

Filmed in Newport, Narragansett, Jamestown, and Galilee, this comedy centers on a Rhode Island State Trooper played by Jim Carrey. 

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Evening

2007

Director: Lajos Koltai

Cast: Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Meryl Streep

The film was primarily set in Newport and included large portions shot at Gooseberry Beach.

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The Great Gatsby

1974

Director: Jack Clayton

Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern

This Academy Award-winning drama was filmed in Newport at the Rosecliff Mansion on Bellevue Ave.

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Self Storage

2013

Director: Tom DeNucci

Cast: Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman, Michael Berryman, Tom DeNucci

Filmed in a self storage facility in East Greenwich, this horror-comedy marks the directorial debut of Cranston native Tom DeNucci. 

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27 Dresses

2008

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Åkerman, Ed Burns

Shot throughout Rhode Island, locations included the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport and a beach in Charlestown. 

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Dan in Real Life

2007

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill

Filmed primarily in Jamestown, the movie also features the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett.

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Hachi: A Dog's Tale

2009

Director: Lasse Hallström

Cast: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Jason Alexander

Filmed primarily in Bristol and Woonsocket, other locations included the Columbus Theater in Providence and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. 

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The Education of Charlie Banks

2007

Director: Fred Durst

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri

Shot partially in Brown University in Providence, the movie marks the directorial debut of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.

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Meet Joe Black

1998

Director: Martin Brest

Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani

Warwick's Aldrich Mansion served as the residence of Anthony Hopkins' character in the film. 

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Reversal of Fortune

1990

Director: Barbet Schroeder

Cast: Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver

Jeremy Irons took home the Oscar for Best Actor for this drama, which was partly shot in Newport.

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Underdog

2007

Director: Frederik Du Chau

Cast: Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton, Amy Adams

Shot entirely in Rhode Island, filming locations included Hope High School on the East Side of Providence.

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Tanner Hall

2009

Directors: Francesca Gregorini, Tatiana von Furstenberg

Cast: Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Brie Larson

Shot in Providence and Newport, the film marks the the directorial debut of Brown University graduates Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg.

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Dumb and Dumber

1994

Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly

Scenes from the beginning of this comedy were filmed on location in Providence, including a shot of the Big Blue Bug.

 
 

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