Another Major Film Production Planned For Nantucket This Fall

Another major film production may be coming to Nantucket.

A year after a Universal Productions film crew traveled to the island to shoot portions of “The Five Star Weekend,” a television adaptation of local author Elin Hildebrand’s novel of the same name, Faraway Films is seeking Select Board approval to shoot scenes for the upcoming film “A Woman in the Sun” on Nantucket.

Starring Renee Zellweger, Sissy Spacek and Mia Threapleton, “A Woman in the Sun” follows a bartender on Nantucket who has to grapple with her mother’s illness and her daughter’s return home. The directorial debut of Julia Cox, who wrote the Oscar-nominated film “Nyad,” the movie appears to have an interest in what it describes as “Nantucket’s dwindling middle class.”

Faraway Films is looking for approval for noise waivers, street closures, and permission to film on public property. The production will be much more limited than “The Five Star Weekend.” Film crews are only slated to be on the island for three days, from November 10th through November 12th. At this time, it is unclear which of the film’s stars will travel to Nantucket to film scenes, but the application forms indicate that only two cast members and 25 crew members will be making the trip.

While on Nantucket, the crew plans to film at locations including Sconset Beach, the Summer House, the mid-island Stop & Shop, the Rose and Crown, and the Steamship Authority terminal.

The license agreement with the town stipulates that the production secure a police detail, parking permits and notifications for neighbors, among other requirements.

There is no guarantee, however, that the Select Board will approve filming. Some Select Board members, perhaps most notably Matt Fee, have expressed concern that major film productions and similar events bring too much attention to the island, and ultimately do more harm than good. The Department of Culture and Tourism recommends that the Select Board approve the permit, but one of the chief reasons it gives for approval—that the production will drive increased tourism to the island—may be the exact reason some islanders are skeptical.

“The production would have a positive impact on Nantucket’s local economy,” the recommendation from the town’s Department of Culture and Tourism reads in part. “The increased visibility would benefit the businesses featured in the film. Additionally, the extended stay of cast and crew would provide a direct financial benefit to local lodging, dining, and hospitality businesses. Overall, such a production would generate sustained economic opportunities.”

The economic benefits of major film productions are clear: “The Five Star Weekend” production crew spent over $2 million on accommodations alone, compensated 15-20 businesses for disruption, contracted with 17 businesses for filming locations, and paid the town over $139,000 in fees. As the town grapples with an ever-increasing cost of living and over $1 billion in upcoming capital expenditures, the economic boon will be a strong point in the production’s favor. The question the Select Board will have to decide is whether that is worth the possible consequences of driving more tourism to the island.

Last year, the Select Board initially seemed hesitant to approve filming for “The Five Star Weekend.” It eventually relented, but Fee voted no. In the aftermath of that vote, the town overhauled its permitting process and made it more difficult to acquire permission to film on Nantucket.

Notably, the new rules require films to submit requests 90 days in advance. Judging by the dates on the application forms included in the Select Board’s agenda packet, A Woman in the Sun submitted its applications only 71 days in advance: the forms are dated to August 31st, and filming is set to begin November 10th. Despite this, the request is included in the Select Board’s packet for approval.

The discussion may become the latest debate over what the future of Nantucket should look like as Select Board members and community advocates disagree about the merits of increasing tourism and pushing economic growth.

Greg Chiodo, the location manager and primary point of contact for the film, will be familiar with these debates: he held the same role on “The Five Star Weekend.”