Vancouver Screen Scene: From Charlize Theron to Canadian talents Christopher Plummer and Eric McCormack

Charlize Theron will star in Tully, which will film in Vancouver this summer.

Charlize Theron will shoot Tully in Vancouver this summer.

Many international audiences don’t realize that some of their favourite stars working in Hollywood actually hail from the Great White North.

Some of them even come back home to shoot their projects here in Hollywood North, such as Ryan Reynolds (hello, Deadpool) and Seth Rogen (who will shoot the forthcoming sci-fi comedy The Something here).

For this edition of Vancouver Screen Scene, we wound up playing spot-the-Canucks so feel free to play along with us (by drinking a shot of maple syrup every time we mention a Canadian) as as we list what’s shooting in town these days.

Charlize Theron, Jason Reitman, and Diablo Cody, who previously worked together on 2011’s Young Adult, will reunite in Vancouver to shoot Tully, which is slated for production this summer.

The film is about a mother of three named Marlo (Theron) who receives a nanny as a gift from her brother and she eventually develops a bond with the titular nanny.

Reitman, who is originally from Montreal (drink!) and the son of comedy director and producer Ivan Reitman of Meatballs and Ghostbusters fame (drink again!), and Cody previously shot the 2007 Oscar-winning film Juno, starring Canadian actors Ellen Page and Michael Cera (double drink!), here in our city.

Christopher Plummer is shooting Boundaries in Vancouver.

Christopher Plummer is shooting Boundaries in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, the legendary and Oscar-, Tony-, and Emmy-winning Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (knock it back hard) is starring in Boundaries, by writer-director Shana Feste. The film follows a single mother, played by Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), who finds herself forced to drive her pot-dealing father (Plummer), who gets kicked out of a nursing home, from Texas to California with her awkward son, played by Lewis MacDougall.

Also among the cast are Bobby Cannavale, Kristen Schaal, Peter Fonda, Christopher Lloyd, and Dolly Wells.

The production continues shooting in Vancouver until June 2.

Eric McCormack goes sci-fi in the new series Travelers.

Eric McCormack goes sci-fi in the new series Travelers.

Toronto-born Vancouver resident Eric McCormack (you know what to do now), who rocketed to fame on the groundbreaking gay-themed U.S. sitcom Will & Grace, is also shooting Season 1 of the sci-fi series Travelers. Created by Stargate SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright, the series follows time travellers who are sent to our present-day to prevent their disastrous future from becoming a reality.

Filming continues until July 28 and the series will air on Showcase in Canada and Netflix elsewhere later this year.

Moving on to the world of fantasy and gaming, Warcrafters got a glimpse of what the online role-playing game will look like on the big, big screen will a behind-the-scenes clip from the Vancouver set of the film.

It reveals what the Lion’s Pride Inn will look like in Warcraft, which is slated to be released on June 10.

When it comes to film events that the public can attend, and if you’re interested in learning about the nuts and bolts of the industry, the Directors Guild of Canada announced that it’s partnering with the Vancouver International Film Festival to present the DGC Master Class Series that will feature speakers from films and TV shows.

For the inaugural session, actor-director Adam Arkin (sorry, not a Canadian—and he’s not to be confused with his celebrity father Alan Arkin) will be the guest speaker.

Actor-director Adam Arkin

Actor-director Adam Arkin

Arkin’s extensive career in front of the camera includes starring on TV series such as Chicago Hope, Northern Exposure, Law & Order, Life, and The West Wing, and films like Hitch and The Sessions. He has also directed episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Sons of Anarchy, Masters of Sex, Justified, and Fargo.

The class will be held on May 28 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour Street). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the VIFF website.

So that ends this round of Vancouver Screen Scene, and by now, you should’ve downed several shots of maple syrup. If you missed your chances for whatever reason, just go have some pancakes with some Canadian bacon and Quebec maple syrup. It’s the Canadian way, eh?

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