The Surface filmed at local bowling alley

The cast and crew of "The Surface" spent a day filming at the Bay View Bowl as reported on by the Bay View Compass. Read the full article here.

Hollywood discovers Lake Michigan (and casts Bay View Bowl)

Sean Astin and Rachel Renee with Bay View Bowl owners Andrea and Mike Kosinski

The film stars Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Rudy, The Goonies) and Chris Mulkey (Rain Man, Cloverfield). They play two desperate men who meet in the dangerous waters of Lake Michigan following a small plane crash. They help each other regain a sense of hope.

“[I was drawn to] just the basic idea,” Astin said, “and Lake Michigan as a character is a great concept.” He likened the film to tales of the Old West, where two grizzled and unlikely partners meet in the scorching desert. 
...
Sean Astin entered casually, already in costume. After greeting [Bay View Bowl owner Mike] Kosinski, he and an assistant set to work modifying the length of his bowling shoes’ laces.

“Do you bowl?” she asked.

Astin smirked. “I don’t know, let’s see.” His first ball spent most of its journey skirting the edge of the lane before dropping into the gutter. Having appraised the lay of the land, Astin’s second swing was more confident and all but two pins were toppled.

Astin’s co-star in the scene, Racine-native Rachel Renee arrived and the two immediately started bowling against each other, keying the video scoreboard with their characters’ names Mitch and Laurie. 

Sean and Rachel on the monitor during filming

Astin said he liked his accommodations in the Third Ward, which he cited as a vibrant community. As an avid cyclist and runner, he said he was having a “grand old time” in the mild Milwaukee summer. “We just went by a park with an outdoor concert (Chill On The Hill)… It’s just people outside enjoying life,” he said.

Sean Astin, Greg Cipes and Rob Paulsen Young Hollywood interview

Sean Astin, Rob Paulsen and Greg Cipes are all adorable in this interview with Young Hollywood at the San Diego Comic Con in July!



Watch here if not viewable on your device.

The Freemason synopsis and photos

Post production work continues on The Freemason. Here is a new plot synopsis and some behind the scenes photos.

A wealthy banker lies ritualistically and brutally murdered.

The banker’s daughter and only heir, Rana (Alex McKenna), calls upon Cyrus Rothwell (Randy Wayne), a brilliant but eccentric writer, to assist in the investigation.

Teaming up with veteran homicide detective Leon Weed (Sean Astin), they suddenly find themselves thrust into the cryptic world of Freemasonry- pitted against a killer searching for a legendary relic, shrouded by hundreds of years of myth and mystery. Rothwell’s troubles multiply as he deduces the killer is one of the banker’s close inner circle.

Cyrus is forced to come to grips with powers beyond his natural senses as well as his own mysterious past ties to Freemasonry in order to unmask the killer before they strike again.

Hollywood in Milwaukee: Filming The Surface

MILWAUKEE - The bright lights of Hollywood are shining right here in Milwaukee. A major motion picture is being shot in our own backyard! 

When it comes to the entertainment industry, Milwaukee is often overshadowed by that city 90 miles to the south.  Not this time!  Lights, camera, action.  From the Milwaukee lakefront to a Bayside neighborhood, Hollywood has invaded Milwaukee!

Final Days of The Surface Filming

Filming for The Surface wrapped on end of last week. Here are some final photos.

The sun sets on a day of shooting. Is that Sean in the boat?

Cast and crew gather for a final photo.

Sean talks with director Gil Cates, Jr. In the back are director of photography Jimmy Sammarco
and writer/producer Jeff Gendelman. 

A Day on Dry Land Filming The Surface

On August 13, filming for "The Surface" took place at the Jewish Home and Care Center in Milwaukee, giving Sean a chance to be on dry land.

Sean is a little goofy before the cameras start rolling:

But when it's time to start filming, he's all business.

Sean Astin 'Communed with Lake Michigan' While Filming 'The Surface'

Sean Astin did a wonderful interview on Milwaukee Public Radio WUWM on Wednesday following the filming of the US Coast Guard rescue scene for "The Surface."

 Listen to the full 13-minute interview here.

People along Milwaukee’s lakefront on Wednesday saw what they might have believed was a Coast Guard helicopter water rescue going on off McKinley Marina.  It might have seemed confusing, though, since the rescue appeared to take place three times.

What was actually going on was the making of a feature film.  Principal photography wraps up today in Milwaukee for “The Surface.”  It’s a drama about two men in dire straits who are thrown together by circumstances in the middle of Lake Michigan.

We spoke earlier this summer with the writer and director of "The Surface."  But this week, we had a chance to catch up with the film’s star. Sean Astin is best known for his lead roles as Samwise Gamgee in “The Lord of the Rings” and the title character in “Rudy.”

Actor Sean Astin will play lead character Mitch in the upcoming film, "The Surface."In “The Surface,” he plays a character named Mitch, a "despondent soul" who has experienced hard luck and loss in his life. The film begins with Mitch’s plan to commit suicide by going out into the middle of Lake Michigan.

US Coast Guard to the rescue in The Surface!

On Wednesday, August 21, the US Coast Guard became a key actor in "The Surface," currently filming in Milwaukee.

Wait! Who's that in the basket??

It's Sean!

More Sean Astin at Indy Double Road Race

Here are some more photos and a video of Sean Astin at the Indianapolis Double Road Race on August 11. After running for 10K, there was an intermission followed by a 5K. These photos are from the 5K.

Sean approaches the 5K finish line.

Sean Astin at Double Road Race in Indianapolis

Sean Astin ran the Double Road Race in Indianapolis IN on Sunday August 11. The race consists of a 10K, an intermission and then a 5K. His  official time for the 10K was 56:24.4, 9:05 pace; and for the 5K was 26:10.1, 8:26 pace. His total for 15K was 1:22:34.

A Day on Lake Michigan

Sean Astin and Chris Mulkey go over their lines during lunch break. These two photos by Jessica Kaminski.

Sean uses a parasol to protect his fair skin from the sun! ;-)

Exclusive: Extraction photo of Sean Astin!

Many thanks to @Crackle for this exclusive photo of Sean Astin as CIA agent Kyle Black in the upcoming original movie Extraction, which premieres September 5. More info here.

More GamerHub TV interview from SDCC

Here's another clip from GamerHub TV's interview of Sean Astin at San Diego Comic Con last month. Sean talks about his favorite compatriots of Raphael's, and how he likes the characters who help Raphael see his frailties. See more of the interview here.

Sean Astin throws out first pitch at LS Chinooks game

Sean Astin, Chris Mulkey, Gil Cates, Jr, and Jeff Gendelman used some of their time off from filming "The Surface" to attend the Northwoods League baseball game pitting the Lakeshore Chinooks against visiting Wisconsin Woodchucks on Saturday August 3. Sean through out the first pitch to costar Chris. No word on if it was a strike or ball! The Chinooks won 9 to 2 in the final game of the season.

Sean starts with a little batting practice.

And a little fielding practice.

Sean Astin runs Marissa's Run 5K

On Friday, August 2, Sean Astin ran the Marissa's Run 5K in Hartland, WI in memory of Marissa Lieblang who lost her life to a brain tumor before her 6th birthday, and in support of the Racers Against Childhood Cancer.

Sean with Fireman Rob and family

Sean with Marissa's mom (front) and members of the RACC

Cast and Crew of The Surface interviewed by WISN 12 TV

Costars Sean Astin and Chris Mulkey, and writer/producer Jeff Gendelman were interviewed by WISN-12 TV while filming "The Surface."

"We're having a ball. The idea that you'd come to a place and shoot an entire movie out on the water is insane. But we thought Lake Michigan will treat us well, and Milwaukee's been great," Astin said.
…
The director said one of the most amazing things about the movie is 85 percent of it takes place on a 1970s era speedboat. 

"So the story becomes an adventure drama, and it centers around two strangers who both are at the end of their rope who suddenly meet in the unpredictable waters of Lake Michigan," Gendelman said. 

"I think this film, it's about two people that would never cross paths except for this strange day and this strange incident, so I think people will like the humanity of it you know. It's about why you should be alive," Astin said. 

"People get angels delivered to each other in their lives, and in this case, both of these guys compliment each other," Mulkey said.
…
Moviegoers will see the Milwaukee area in a starring role on the big screen in about 18 months.

Watch interview and read full article here.

New trailer for "Extraction"

Here is a new trailer for "Extraction." The action movie starring Danny Glover, Sean Astin, Vinnie Jones, Jon Foo, Joanne Kelly and Falk Hentschel, will be the first feature film to premiere on Crackle.com on September 5. Sean plays CIA agent Kyle Black.


Here are a couple of screen caps from the trailer:

A U.S. Black Ops team member finds himself the only survivor of a botched prisoner extraction mission at a maximum security prison in Russia. Can he fight his way out and keep his prisoner alive in order to catch a deadly terrorist arms dealer? 

Read more about Extraction here.

More from first week of shooting The Surface

Here are some more photos and video from the first week of filming "The Surface" in Milwaukee WI.

Sean with Tiffany Ogel, host of Morning Blend who has a role in movie.

FX President Talks about Del Toro's The Strain

President of the FX Network John Landgraf made some announcements to the Television Critics Association today, including talking about "The Strain" based on Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's horror trilogy.

“It’s a really epic, truly epic story and when Guillermo came in to sell it, one of the things they made clear is that they wanted to tell the story of the books, that that story would be told over three, four or five seasons. They had work to do in terms of figuring out how to re-situate that story in an episodic television series. That show will be somewhere between 39 and 65 episodes, no less, no more. 

“‘The Strain’ is pretty graphic. It’s a horror show. I think you can expect content commensurate with ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘American Horror Story.’” Source

Sean Astin is set to play Jim Kent, a a savvy and trustworthy member of the Canary team called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. Sean has already had a plaster mold of his face done!

Reportedly, five scripts have been written; filming on the pilot is set to begin sometime in September in Toronto.