A location scout was in Agassiz Wednesday, checking out the town for the potential filming of a television series.
Chatter around town spread quickly, as the scout popped into local shops and restaurants, took pictures of the downtown business facades and chatted with people along the way.
The television series mentioned by the scout is Wayward Pines, which is reportedly set to star Matt Dillon and Melissa Leo. Dillon is a veteran movie star, getting his start in the late '70s, and securing his Hollywood status with '80s film The Outsiders.
Leo is also a long-time actor, with more than 100 film and television credits to her name. Wayward Pines is listed on the industry website IMDb as a one-hour drama series based on a Blake Crouch novel of the same name, and created by Chad Hodge. One of the executive directors is listed as M. Night Shyamalan, and it is being produced by Fox Network.
In its description on IMDb, Wayward Pines is a thriller about a Secret Service agent who goes to Wayward Pines, Idaho in search of two federal agents who have gone missing in the bucolic town. He soon learns that he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.
However, because the shooting of the series has not been confirmed by the location managers, the filming is not yet listed on the Director's Guild production list — an up-to-date comprehensive list for the entire province.
District of Kent staff did confirm that a production company has been in contact with them, and that they are working with the company to see if Agassiz would be a good fit — particularly Pioneer Avenue. The company will be speaking with business owners to ensure everyone is receptive to the idea of having a series shot here.
The arrival of a television series shoot can have large economic benefits for a community, as was seen in Chilliwack when the science fiction show Eureka chose downtown as as location for their outdoor scenes. That series returned regularly for five years, and wrapped up in 2011.
Cast and crew stayed in local hotels, ate in local restaurants and shopped downtown.
A phone call placed to the production company to confirm the series being considered for Agassiz has not yet been returned.
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