Filming for the upcoming A24 feature film “The Drama,” starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, took place near the Boston University campus, spurring student excitement.
The production is filming in Boston for about six weeks. The film’s crew was seen setting up at Eastern Standard, a restaurant on Beacon Street near Fenway, to film a scene.
The production was filming at Omni Parker House near the Boston Common this morning. Several production-owned trucks were then seen near Mountfort and Beacon streets after 11 a.m., but celebrities were not spotted outside.
Filming notices that were posted along the streets permitted only film vehicles to park in those respective areas from Sunday at 5 p.m. to Monday at 10 p.m.
The production will be filming at Beacon Street and surrounding streets on Wednesday and Thursday, according to another filming notice posted near the locations.
Freshman Emma Burke said she doesn’t “necessarily get overly excited” about celebrity sightings, but she thinks it’s “cool that they’re here,” despite production being under wraps.
“I don’t ever see them, so I feel like they’re kind of not here, but they are,” Burke said. “They’re like a mystery somewhere. It’s interesting to watch people get very excited about them.”
Junior Alexandra McArver, a film and television major, attended a panel of film-industry professionals last month that discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic slowed filmmaking in Boston. She said the more films that shoot in the city, the better it is for people to find jobs.
McArver said seeing productions happening around the city has motivated her to network and “build a community in the city.”
Leslie Aboytes, a senior from California, said she has seen other productions filming in public, and that it’s “awesome,” brings “more attention to the area” and immerses BU students in the film scene.
Daniela Wong, a senior from Panama, said celebrity sightings are rare for her back home, so she is excited that filming is not only happening near campus, but throughout the city.
“We’re used to New York City being [the setting of] a lot of the movies, so this is really exciting for the city,” Wong said.
Freshman Georgia Blott said the prospect of seeing these actors around Boston is “exciting.” Blott is a fan of actor Tom Holland, who is Zendaya’s boyfriend, and said she is hopeful she’ll see him around the city as well.
Aboytes said she remembered when Zendaya was spotted filming parts of “Challengers” in Boston not long ago.
“I remember being like, ‘That’s the AMC that I always go by,’ so it’s adding that level of relatability,” Aboytes said. “Moving forward, it’s awesome to have production … Especially when it’s filmed on campus or filmed nearby, it kind of brings that community aspect.”
Despite feeling starstruck, some students recognized the importance of respecting Zendaya and Pattinson’s privacy if they are spotted around Boston.
“A lot of people can be rude, especially at our age, and think that celebrities owe us some sort of interaction when they really don’t,” Wong said.
Aboytes said Zendaya and Holland have declined to take photos with some fans for privacy reasons.
McArver said she has seen online buzz about the celebrities being spotted around Boston, such as at local Tatte Bakery and Cafe chains, and warned for residents to be careful about posting sightings “because we don’t want Zendaya to get stalked.”
“I don’t always understand when people go crazy for celebrities, because it’s just a person,” McArver said. “I get it, but also let them live their life.”
