Three New Jersey-filmed movies premiere 9/30

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New Jersey takes center stage this Friday with three feature films shot in the Garden State all being released on that same day.

In “Bros,” “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” and “Smile,” a number of New Jersey locations will be on full display. These three films are among the dozens of major productions that were recently filmed in the Garden State.

NJBIZ has extensively chronicled the major strides made by the state’s film and television industry.

In addition to the state pride of having landscapes and locations from around New Jersey featured, the projects also bring in a significant amount of economic activity and impact.

“Much of the state’s appeal to the motion picture and television industry derives from our diverse portfolio of filming locations and abundance of film-ready communities,” said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. “We are delighted to see so many cities and towns enjoying the excitement of hosting major productions while realizing the considerable economic impact.”

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“Bros“ is Universal Pictures’ new romantic comedy starring Billy Eichner and Luke MacFarlane. Directed by Nicholas Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow, filming took place in parts of Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Passaic, and Union counties.

Some featured locations include: Downtown Cranford, White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, Teaneck Cinemas, St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic, The Fox and The Falcon, the Newark Art Museum and more. Additional interior scenes were shot at Palisade Stages in Kearny, making it the first project to shoot in the facility since it opened last year.

For the filming of “Bros,” Universal Pictures reported hiring 120 crew members and 1,000 extras, spending over $35 million in New Jersey for labor, goods and services.

“The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” which can be seen in theaters and on Apple TV+, stars Zac Efron, Russell Crowe and Bill Murray. The film brings 1960s New York City to life in North Bergen: The Brass Rail Pub on 76th Street was transformed into Doc Fiddler’s Pub, while Bergenline Avenue was turned into the Inwood section of Manhattan. Additional filming took place in parts of Paterson and Jersey City.

Skydance Media, the production company behind the project, spent over $8 million in New Jersey, hiring nearly 400 cast and crew members for the film.

“Smile,” which is being released in theaters nationwide, is a fright flick starring Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn and Rob Morgan. The film is the directorial debut of writer/director Parker Finn.

Filming locations included the Arlington Diner in North Arlington, the Halifax at the W Hotel, River Walk Bike Lane and Union Hall in Hoboken, the Union County Jail in Elizabeth, as well as other parts of Newark, Jersey City, Kearny, Montclair and Morristown.

Paramount reported hiring 212 workers for production and spending $17 million in expenditures in the Garden State.

“We are winding up another outstanding year for film and television production in New Jersey,” said Michael Uslan, chairman of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. “Over 45 major projects have been filmed in the state in 2022, and we expect to report record revenues by year’s end.”