Filming in Vancouver: Farrelly brothers’ new show The Now, The Magicians to wrap, and more

As we hurtle towards All Hallow’s Eve and beyond, a number of screen productions are finishing up their principal photography, prior to the onset of the holiday season.

That said, there are many that will soldier on through the wintry days into the new year—and even some that will start anew over the coming weeks.

Such is the case with a new series that gets going this week—and it takes on a rather unconventional topic for a comedy.

We also take a look at a magical series that will be finishing up its latest season—after a major change took place in its previous season.

And so for all that and a little more, here’s a quick dip into what’s filming in Vancouver these days.

First up is a new show from some well-known moviemaking siblings.

The Now starts shooting today (October 28) and will continue until December 20.

It’s directed by the Farrelly brothers, otherwise known as Peter and Bobby Farrelly (The Three Stooges, Hall Pass).

This new comedy series takes on subject matter that has traditionally been considered too sensitive or serious for comedy.

However, Peter Farrelly (Green Book, which won several Oscars including best picture), who is cowriting this series, has previously broached difficult or untraditional topics in comedy.

He is also no stranger to Vancouver, having co-created the locally shot TV series Loudermilk, about a recovering alcoholic and substance-abuse counsellor with a bad attitude.

The Now follows a guy who is about to commit suicide when his mother informs him that his brother just committed suicide. He also finds out that his father committed suicide in the past as well.

As he feels he can’t follow through with his suicide attempt for the sake of his mother, he finds he has to learn to live his life in the present—or, as the title indicates, in the now.

The cast hasn’t been announced yet.

The series is anticipated to launch on the forthcoming streaming service Quibi in April 2020.

Meanwhile, as we head into November, a number of productions will be calling it a wrap before we hit the holiday season.

In the weeks to come, several TV series will be finishing up.

Among of them is The Magicians, which has been busy shooting Season 5.

Filming began back on June 10 and will continue until November 8.

The fantasy series follows a group of friends from Brakebills University who use their magical abilities to do battle with evil beings.

By the close of Season 4, a main character had bid adieu to the show, and the departure will shake things up for this forthcoming season.

So we can expect things to feel different for Season 5, with a cast that includes Hale Appleman, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Summer Bishil, Stella Maeve, Arjun Gupta, and more.

Season 5 is set to return in 2020.

Elsewhere, two B.C.–shot feature films are on local production lists—one coming to a close and one about to start up—but details aren’t available for either of them.

Calling it a wrap on Thursday (October 31) is Dreams of a Singer, directed by Janos Molnar. This feature film shot from July 27, with production based in Burnaby.

An upcoming feature film is The Last Victim, directed by Naveen Chathapuram. It’s scheduled to shoot from November 4 to 28 in Kelowna.

If more details become available, we’ll let you know.

And on that note, that’s all for this week but check back in with us again next time for what else is starting up or calling it a wrap in Vancouver’s screen scene.