"That's a Wrap For Freeway Filming"
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 21 June 2007

Location, location, location.

The 210 Freeway is already more famous than many of its counterparts — and it hasn't even been completed yet. The freeway has had a lot of screen time.

Between 2005 and 2007, several car commercials, feature films and television commercials have been shot on the unopened section of the freeway between Alder and Linden avenues in Rialto.

Dan Taylor, deputy director of the Inland Empire Film Commission, said once the 210 Freeway is opened to traffic, it will limit the amount of freedom Hollywood has to shoot on the freeway. Unlike other freeways that are open to traffic, the unopened part of the 210 provided a ready backdrop for shooting, day or night.

"It was easy to permit. No one's driving on it so there was no need to worry about traffic," Taylor said.

Big Bucks

Part of an episode for the NBC television show "ER" was shot on the freeway in September 2005. The freeway also got another close-up when participants in a "Fear Factor" episode performed stunts that were shot in July and August 2005. The reality show brought in the bucks for the local economy — crew and contestants spent about $200,000 on hotels, restaurants, equipment and vendors, freelance location manager John Grant said.

2 and 24

The Fox television show "24," starring Kiefer Sutherland, also shot part of an episode on the freeway in March 2006. "Bad Boys 2," starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, was also filmed on the 210.

More Than Meets the Eye

It was a hot one. A major action sequence was filmed in July on the 210 for the upcoming summer blockbuster "Transformers," directed by Michael Bay. Part of the sequence filmed on the freeway appears in the closing shot of the movie's trailer, said Scott Trimble, key assistant location manager for "Transformers." "You see one of the Transformers, Bone Crusher, smash into the side of a bus on the freeway," Trimble said. The bus, which was the biggest set piece used in the film, then crashes and explodes.

Hit the Brakes

In January 2007, the Fox television action series "Drive" also used the 210 as a backdrop. The Alder Avenue exit sign is in view during a shot. The series was canceled shortly after the first episode aired April 15.

Got Smart?

Agents Smart and 99 found themselves shooting on the 210 earlier this year. A big-screen version of the 1960s television show "Get Smart" is in production and is expected to be released next year. Shooting for the film took place on the 210 at the end of February. The director and the production crew must have liked the 909 because they got smart and came back to shoot again in April. The new version stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99.

Maybe Next Time

The feature film "NEXT," starring Nicolas Cage, was filmed locally and was set to film on the 210 but a script change led to a change in plans.

©1997 Daily Californian


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